Seto's Silver Ace
by year of the fox
Summary: Semi-sweet things, adorable brothers, old villains, a new tournament, and most importantly, Seto Kaiba. Sequel to 'There Has to be More to It', continuing the challenge of a realistic in character Kaiba love story - Warning: implied sex and some violence
1. August

**This is the much better (in my opinion, but you guys will ultimately decide that) sequel to There Has to be More to It. In this story, I explore if Seto can really have a relationship without anything else playing into it, as Jem finds out more about him, and so much more. Now that everything has been established, we can start to play with the relationship. Get excited, this one is more fun (perhaps for the reader, anyway).**

**The first two and a half chapters are what is left****, after editing,**** of the five chapters I originally had from years ago. Aside from that, this story is _brand new_, so please tell me what you think so I have a sense of how it comes across to others.**** And as always, enjoy.**

* * *

A fair girl sat on a couch, her body turned sideways, shoulder resting against the back of her seat. One foot rested on the couch, the other draped to the floor, and her mind was occupied with a book.

It was nice in the summer, with no school to take up half the day. But now it was about to come to an end, with her senior year of high school about to start in a couple of weeks. Her bedtime would become later and her alarm set for the early morning.

Jemmea looked up from her book, a little tired from the long stretch of reading. She placed a bookmark and closed the book. Looking at her feet, she rubbed them together, tickling the bottoms and awakening the nerves. She looked contently around again at the room.

The loft was _beautiful_. Open, _so_ different from the little apartment. It was farther away from people, high up from the street. She could hardly hear sirens and the other sounds of the city, if at all. On the roof there was a beautiful garden, but that was the only part of the building that opened to the fresh air. None of the windows making up the walls of her common space opened, keeping the hot August air out.

Unlike Seto, Jem liked being in the city and up in the sky. Anyone who got close to the window could look down the street and would be able to see the Kaiba Corp. building in the distance.

A formally dressed man hurried through the room, his arms filled with groceries. "Daydreaming, Jemmie?"

"Good afternoon, Avery," the girl greeted. Avery, it had been a long time, a decade even. Avery had always looked after her, watched her grow up, until she was six and her mother died. Soon after that, her father changed and tried to create a new life. He had thought that Avery was too soft and got rid of him. Avery was replaced by gruff, unfriendly men who were just there to enforce rules, not encourage growth. Jem had tried to find somebody to help her with keeping the house straight since it was large and Jem would have little time to keep it together on her own. She could barely keep the apartment together - what a disaster this place would have been. So she looked up her old nanny and was rejoiced when she found him, thinking that he could be married or something by now, but he was more than happy to come live with her and keep her growing once again. It had been Seto's idea to have at least one person to keep up with things, and he would know, busy as he was.

Since their return from Duelist Kingdom, they had spent some time together, each slowly coming around to the other, but they had not seen one another too often. Seto was extremely busy with work and other things, and would be gone periodically. Even though Jem enjoyed her time with him, she was relieved he was so busy. She needed time to herself, and liked that with Seto that time was guaranteed.

Thinking of him, Jem remembered she was supposed to meet him. "What time is it?"

"Almost one o'clock," answered Avery over his shoulder.

"Hm, I should get going. I will see you tonight. I might be back for dinner—if Seto has time we might eat together. I'll text you." Jem stood up. Grabbing her bag, Jem added over her shoulder, "I will see you later, Avery."

"Bye Jemmie! Be good!" he smiled and continued towards the kitchen, softly humming to himself.

* * *

Mokuba was in the middle of fixing a snack for himself when the doorbell echoed through the house. He wiped his hands on his pants and walked to the door. Standing on his very tippy toes, he peered through the peep-hole to see a blonde-haired girl looking around the yard, squinting in the afternoon sun. She switched the bag she was carrying from one hand to the other as she waited.

Mokuba opened the door. "Hi Jem! Seto's upstairs in his office," Mokuba informed her.

"Thanks, Mokuba." Mokuba smiled and went back to what he was doing.

Jem walked up the stairs and down the hall. She knew where his office was as he was often there when she went to see him.

Finding the dark wooden door, Jem softly knocked and opened it, then leaned against the door frame.

There he was, typing away. He sat in front of huge windows that made up one of the walls, the rest were lined with bookshelves. In the middle of the room, there were some black leather chairs, a couch, and a plasma screen TV was mounted on the wall. But Jem's attention was focused on the boy whose brown hair fell in his intense blue eyes, focused on the computer screen.

Jem pushed herself off the frame, transferring her weight back to her feet, and approached him. As she did, she opened the bag she had been carrying with her and pulled out a file. Seto had asked her to grab it from his company since she was coming over anyway. She stood next to Seto, presenting the file like a present to royalty, her feet together, her figure upright. He continued in his rhythmic typing, and without skipping a beat, snapped his computer lid shut and set it aside. He took the file from Jem and set it down on his desk. Before he opened it, he turned back to Jem and pulled her down on his lap. He reached around her to look through the papers. She fell back closer to him, feeling the material of his clothes on all the places her sun-dress didn't cover. It was still a hot August day, even if Seto ignored that.

Jem watched as he leafed through some papers. He closed the file and set it aside. Jem leaned down to pull something out of her bag and he wrapped his arm around her waist so she wouldn't fall on her head. She grabbed something and came back up to rest against his chest.

"Where is you schedule?" Seto pulled a piece of paper out of his desk drawer and handed it to her, then leaned back in his chair. She straighten up as she laid the papers next to one another and studied them.

"OK, it looks like we have AP science together again... and AP math." She absent-mindedly curled her feet around the backs of his legs as she spoke. She looked over his list of advanced classes and asked him, "Why do you bother?"

"I don't know," came her response. Jem turned to look at him over her shoulder. He had one elbow on the armrest and his fingers above his brow. His eyes were closed.

Jem leaned back into his chest and turned her body so she was curled up in his lap. "So what's been consuming you this time?"

Without opening his eyes he responded, "I was working on a tournament, but I don't have any time left to host it. It would have to start a partway through the school year, and I'm not sure how I feel about that."

Jem rested her head against his mess of brown hair. She thought for a minute. The boy was already brilliant, and tournaments, from what she had gathered, seemed to be the activity he enjoyed most. "So?" she asked. "What are you honestly going to be missing in school?"

He gave no answer. She wondered if he had understood that he was not meant to answer, and that she instead was trying to encourage him. He stayed still, and she raised her hand to brush his hair back from his face, admiring him. He grabbed her arm, then slowly turned his face into her hand.

His eyes shot open before he lowered her hand to his chest. He then reached around her, and resumed working.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Dreams and Nightmares" - The plot continues forward as I leave some clues for the remainder of the series...


	2. Dreams and Nightmares

_Jem's POV_

_Only one more year, only one more year..._ I kept repeating the words to myself as I entered my senior art class. _One more year, __**a year is too long! **_I looked around the room. Joey. Damn. He was talking to a white-haired boy, who actually seemed rather quiet and well put together.

Slowly, I walked to my seat, trying not to attract Joey's attention. Just as I was turning to sit down, someone near me yelled to one of his friends entering the room, having a few heads turn in his direction. Joey looked up. He was just about to resume his conversation with the white-haired boy when I caught his eye.

I sat down in my seat, trying to ignore him. Joey said something to his friend, then got up. _Shit._ He came strolling over to my desk, trying to be smooth.

Still trying to convince myself that he was not there, I opened my book and forced myself to stare at the letters. He came over and leaned on the desk next to me.

"So Jemmie-"

"Jem. Call me Jem, if you have to call me anything. Jemmie does not sound right coming from you." I interrupted.

"Right, Jem," he started over, "New year, fresh slate, great isn't it?"

"Sure."

"Did you have a good summer?"

"Mm."

"Mine was pretty good."

"Hm."

He paused. "You get dat hummin thing from Kaiba?"

I stopped trying to pretend and finally turned to look at him, annoyed. "What do you want, Joey?"

"Just sayin hi, ya know, bein a nice guy. Whadaya got there?" He gestured to my book.

This allowed me to turn back to it. "_The Divine Comedy_," I answered. "It's my favorite; a friend gave it to me."

"Did you just say a friend?" Joey asked.

"Mm," I answered.

He hesitated. "It wasn't Kaiba, was it?"

I chuckled, still with my eyes on my book. "No, it was the only other person I could ever tolerate and didn't find irritating."

He was quiet for a moment again, which I enjoyed, before he said, "Well, if Kaiba's da only other guy you can tolerate, den what's _dis_ guy like?"

"Hm." I thought for a moment. "I suppose the two best words to describe him would be 'bitter' and 'aggressive.'"

He did not seem to know how to take this response. Again, he was quiet before he continued. "Well, like I was sayin, a fresh slate. I know dat maybe we may'a gotten off on da wrong foot last year, but I was thinking dat maybe-"

"-we could be friends?" I gave him my best are-you-really-serious look.

"Well, yeah. I don't know what I would do witout my friends-"

I could not take it anymore. "You know Joey, my friend? My _best_ friend? The one I just told you about? The only one I ever made? He perished. So every time I hear you talk about how great friendship is, I want to gut you and tear you apart so you know how great 'friendship' feels to me."

The bell rang. "OK class, take your seats..." the teacher's voice fell into the background with the shuffle of kids following her directions.

I turned my attention to putting my book away, expecting him to disappear on his own. It did happen, but not before I he whispered one last thing in my ear: "I'm sorry, but it's somethin ya could still have."

* * *

_Seto's POV_

_The light dimmed, but her eyes did not. She sat on the ground next to me. The garden thrived all around her in shades of deep sage and viridian. She stared straight ahead of her, deep in thought. I lay on the cool, whiskered grass, my eyes fixed on her. I was fixed to that spot. I was sure I could not move, until her gaze softened and turned to me._

_She smiled._

_She brought her face down to greet mine, and I reached out and touched her._

_The evening air had chilled her, though my hand still felt cold in comparison as I grazed her cheek. Her silvery vanilla hair fell around her face. I reached out to brush a lock away…_

* * *

Seto awoke. This was not his bed. He closed his laptop, which had been sitting on his chest, and climbed off the bed. The room was dark, but the glow of the clock allowed enough light to move around. It announced that it was 2:12... in the morning. _Shit_, he thought, _Mokuba_.

As he looked around the room, he tried to recall what he had just dreamt. Something to do with… He turned to Jem. She slept soundly, fully dressed and on top of her covers. She laid on her back, partially tilted to one side. The side he had just been on. Feeling safe in the still darkness, Seto reached out and gently removed a strand of hair from her face, then ran his hand down her cheek as he pulled away. Then, swiftly but silently, he put his coat back on, picked up his suitcase, and left.

* * *

**3:19** AM  
Jem rolled closer to the boy. There was no boy. She slowly opened her eyes. He wasn't there. He was never there. He was an unpredictable phantom. And well, she kind of liked it.

She rubbed her eyes. She felt extremely warm, which also made her thirsty. Slowly, she rose; her feet unable to stray too far from the floor as she walked to the kitchen. _Should I turn on the-_ She snapped her eyes closed and switched the light off. _No, I should not_.

In the merciful dark, Jemmie filled a glass of water.

Just as she was about to take a sip, a sudden pain shot through her head. She dropped her glass to the floor. Jem keeled over as the pain pierced through her mind. A pain then shot through her foot, and it was over. Jem sat down and brought her foot up to view. It did not hurt anymore, but there was thick blood on her foot still, and some on the glass and surrounding water where she had stepped. She used her sleeve and brushed the blood away, but there was no wound. She stopped for a minute, then pushed a prodded the skin for some sign of a cut or opening, but there was still none.

"This is not happening," she said as she stumbled back to bed._ I really hate these dreams__._

However, the next morning the glass was still there, and so was the blood. Jem informed Avery of it on her way out the door. He just rolled his eyes and continued with the newspaper.

"I'll get it, don't worry about it. I don't even want to know what you were doing."

**(Don't worry about her friend, I'm just setting up plot points for the remainder of the series, but for those of you who like puzzles, at this point I have given you all the clues to figure out who it is)**

**I've posted a whole lot recently, so I'll wait for you guys to catch up and tell me what you think. Let me know if it's A ok and enjoyable or not so I can make appropriate modifications**** before I go much further. ****Again****, this story is _brand new_, so please tell me what you think so I have a sense of how it comes across to others.**

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Irritating and Awkward" - Joey again, and Jem finds something unexpected


	3. Irritating and Awkward

_Only one more period to go, so long as I ignore that it's a double period…_ thought Jem as she sat at lunch. She and Seto did not have the same lunch period this year, but she still sat at the table. Where the hell else was she supposed to sit? Jem did eat at the last lunch, even though everyone else bitched and moaned about it, it was _actually _lunch time.

Jem pushed her remaining portion away and sat back in her chair. She pulled out her book, _The Psychology of Conscious_. Right now, Ornstien was talking about the Sperry experiments. The corpus callosum was cut and one half of a person's mind was not able to communicate with the other half. The results were fascinating. Jem would be through with this book by the end of the day. She was a fast reader and would read anything that held her interest. Reading at lunchtime was a good way to calm down before her last class. It was a slack class. She had to get her art credit before she graduated and had entered in the sophomore class of Drawing and Painting. She found she rather liked painting. Wait, didn't her father as well? Scratch that.

"Hey, ah. Ready for art?" _Oh Joey, why couldn't you of taken Art 1?_ Joey Wheeler had also left his art credit to his final year. Jem had been planning on being the only senior in her art class. No one would talk to her and it would be great. Nope, not at all. Joey H. Fucking Wheeler had to be in it. He just _had_ to be.

He talked all the way to class. "My picture needs more duel monsters."

He talked all during class. "I like ya picture, Jem. It's really… eh… lively?"

He talked all the way back from class. "I tink my picture is comin out real good." She twitched. _It's WELL, REALLY WELL,_ she wanted to scream. Jem had given up on remarks within the first three days of school. How could anyone be so obnoxious? Joey had practically dubbed her his new best friend. She shivered at the thought.

During the regular rant, Jem was completely zoned out. It was all she could do to block out the sound of his voice. She hugged her books to her chest and walked her rut alongside Joey. But she could not get him out of her ear. And that was when she reached her breaking point. She took off, her speed increasing as she weaved through the crowded halls. Joey yelled after her.

Jem sprang out the doors and looked around. She took in a deep breath of fresh air. She had made it._  
_

"Jem!" she heard as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She looked down. Mokuba's face was gleaming.

"Hi Mokuba, I haven't seen you in a while."

"Six days," he responded as he released her. She looked up to find Seto standing outside his limo, ready to leave.

"What are you doing?" Kaiba asked roughly. "You look like you're running away from something."

"Not something, some**one**. I know you know exactly to whom I am referring. I have been ignoring him, but he cannot take a hint. I'm not sure how much more I can take." She took a deep breath. "So it has been that kind of day."

"You have to put that moron in his place," Kaiba advised.

"I don't think he finds me as scary as he finds you. Besides, does that really deter him from talking to you?" she asked.

"True," Seto replied. "Mokuba, get in the car." Mokuba did as his elder brother asked. Seto waited until the door was closed to speak. "I've been extremely busy, but I can spare a half hour. Come eat dinner with me in my business office tomorrow night."

Jem wasn't sure if that was a question or not, but either way, she told him, "I was just complaining. I was not asking you to do anything special for me-" she tried to clarify.

But he intervened. "I have been meaning to ask you," he said flatly.

This was alleviating, her stance softened. "All right then."

All he said was, "I will see you tomorrow at seven," in his dry manner. He then turned away as his driver again opened the door.

* * *

When Jem arrived home Avery was prepping dinner. Jem went into the kitchen and sat down to talk to him. Really, though, she was just procrastinating.

"Hello Avery, how was your day? What did you do?"

"It was good. While you were at school, I went down and volunteered at the children's hospital. It's heartbreaking, but they can use all the help they can get. They do so much work for these kids, and they do it whether the families can afford it or not. The place is so run down. They really need to build a new ward, but that would cost at least a million dollars and they just don't have the resources. But I read to the kids and even did a little tutoring. The kids are so sweet. It kind of reminded me of when you were that little."

"Huh," she replied, thinking about what he had just said.

"How about your day?" he asked.

"Oh, it was all right. That reminds me, I am having dinner with Seto tomorrow so I will not be here for super."

"Got it!" Avery said cheerfully. He started humming to himself and then said, "Well stop stalling and go do your homework."

_He saw right through me,_ Jem thought as she meandered away.

She went into her room to change out of her uniform. Still trying to stall, she started to unpack her bag. She took out her book and went over to her side table to store it away until later. She sat down on her bed and opened the drawer, only to find something that she had not left there.

"Avery! Did you put these here?" she screamed.

"Hmm? Oh yes deary, you spend enough time in there with a very handsome boy. I just want you to be safe."

Jem shut the drawer, forgetting to put the book in it. She then stood up and took out her homework, now hoping it would distract her from her complete embarrassment.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Repeatedly Embarrassed" - Another office dinner, another splitting headache


	4. Repeatedly Embarrassed

_Jem's POV_

It was a short walk to Seto's office, and one I enjoyed. Once I arrived, I went up to the building and a security guard opened the door for me. He nodded to me pleasantly as I walked by. This was the man who had replaced the security guard I had met the first time I came here. People I would encounter on my way up to Seto's office had started to recognize me.

I reached the top floor and headed to his office. I pushed open his heavy door, practically having to lean on it, to see him still working away. He looked up at me and then back down. I took my time as I walked around behind him, then leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. I nestled my face in his hair and closed my eyes, just waiting until he was finished.

He leaned forward and picked up the phone and I let him slide through my arms. "Send it up now," was all he said and then hung it up. He closed his computer and put the few things he had on his desk aside as I walked back to sit across from him.

"You seem busy," I remarked flatly, giving him the opportunity to share.

"I decided to go through with that tournament," he said as he put the last few things in place.

"Oh yeah?" I replied, my voice rising a little higher than normal. I was still uncomfortable with the whole dueling thing. My brother had been right when I spoke to him back at the castle: out of all the people out there, it was Seto Kaiba, one of the key players in the dueling world, who had caught my attention. And he caught it soon after I had succeeded in fleeing from my father and all he stood for. Figures. But I would never change Seto for my own benefit, not even if I could. I wanted him to be happy, and if fucking Duel Monsters is what did it, then so be it. Maybe I could think of it as my father doing something right for once. "Is there anything you can tell me about it?"

"I think I've chosen the location," he answered. He leaned back in his chair, putting his elbow on the armrest and resting his head on his hand. "My company owns a resort. It's alone on a peninsula, surrounded by beaches," he paused.

"I like beaches," I said softly. I looked him in the eye and he held it, knowing my reference. Before he said anything, the servers came in with our food. Neither he nor I moved as they laid our meals before us.

"Is there anything else we can get for you?" one asked.

Our eyes still locked, he said, "We're fine. Leave us." And they left without another word.

When I heard the door close, I looked down at the food. I then took my napkin and placed it in my lap. He continued from where he left off. "Part of the resort is built out over the ocean. The spot itself is a good location for the finals, but I'm not sure how I want to bring the duelists there. I have already done a blimp."

"Call me a dork, but I have always thought trains were pretty cool," I said and then immediately regretted it. I had gotten to a point where I was comfortable enough with Seto that I did not filter what I said as much as I would have liked when I was around him. I did not want to seem like I was trying to make any suggestions for his project, and trains? Really? Not that it wasn't true, though...

He had not stopped looking at me. For a moment it was quiet. I kept my eyes down and took a bite of my meal. Then he said, "Hm. Just for that, I'm going to use trains for the quarter-finals." I was taken aback. That, with the hum- Could it be that he just- thought I was cute? I would never know, he would never admit it. I would never ask.

Still feeling a little embarrassed, perhaps now for other reasons, I changed the subject. "You should eat and take a break from thinking about it."

He looked at me for another moment and then leaned forward, and it looked as though he was about to pick up his fork.

Just then, a splitting pain raced through my head. I gasped and dropped my fork. I pushed my chair back and doubled over onto my lap. I held my head, my hands digging into my hair.

Seto was on his feet and beside me in an instant. He promptly dropped on one knee and put his hands over mine. "Jem? What is it?" And then it just stopped. I peeked up at him. "Are you alright?" he asked.

I took a breath, "Yeah." His hands loosened over mine and I removed them from my hair, "Yeah, it was just like a flash migraine. I must be dehydrated," I concluded and took a sip of my water. Once the pain was over, I was no longer concerned about it anymore, just still embarrassed. I did not like being the focus of anything.

"A _flash migraine_?" he asked, stressing how ridiculous it sounded. "Has this happened before?"

I set the water down. "Only once, the night before last." I tried to play it down.

"The night I was over?" _Oh yeah. Damn, that won't comfort him._

I nodded. "Yeah, but after you left." I tried to change the subject. "But how about you eat something before _you_ feel ill," I jeered. He hesitated and went back to his seat. I picked up my fork and began to eat again, trying to get things back to normal.

He just looked at me, sitting back in his chair, then he said, "I'm going to call Avery and tell him to meet you outside your building in 20 minutes."

I started to protest, "No, that would be unnecessary-" but he was already doing just that.

I sighed and looked down at my food, truly embarrassed now. He hung up the phone and sat back again to watch me. _I have been with Seto during many meals, but I am not sure I can recall any instances where he actually ate_, I noted.

I finished and put my hands in my lap. He called for the servers to come take the dishes away, and for his driver to pull up front to take me home. When he hung up the phone, he stood up and walked around to me. He held out his hand, as though to help me up. I took it and stood, but instead of letting go when I was on my feet, he pulled me to him. He would normally always wrap his arms around my waist, but instead, he held one arm around my shoulders and one around my upper back. My arms were between he and I, resting on his chest. I think- I think I may have rattled him, maybe even scared him. I had never seen this side of him before. I closed my eyes, my head against his chest, feeling comfortable again in his arms. "Seto..." I breathed quietly, caught up in the moment.

He ignored me. "Come on, I'll walk you out." He let go of me, but took my hand and rested it through his arm, probably afraid I would collapse again. He walked next to me on the way down, with his hands in his pockets. He guided me all the way to the sidewalk, where his limo was waiting to take me home. I still did not care for them, but I had not told him that.

We turned towards each other. He looked down into my eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow," was all he said before he watched me turned away to leave.

Avery was there to greet me when I got out. "What was that about?" he asked. Avery always had an easygoing everything-will-be-fine attitude, so I did not bother to fib.

"Flash migraine," I answered, not caring that it made no sense.

"I see," he responded. "You're probably dehydrated. I'll put a glass of water and some aspirin next to your bed."

_Right choice on the help, _I thought as we strolled back up to my loft together.

* * *

**Next Chapter****: **"Off Balance" - Mokuba gets an invitation


	5. Off Balance

The next weekend Jem found herself in Seto's home office. He worked at his desk and she on the couch, using the coffee table to sprawl out her notes and sheets. It was much like how lunch had been, each occupied with their own matters and not minding the other's presence. She finished her history homework and sat back against the couch. Her energy for assigned tasks was getting low, so she decided to take a break. She got up and walked over to Seto. Jem perched herself on his desk next to his laptop, facing his direction. He never once looked over at her, but for a moment while he scrolled, he placed his spare hand on her leg. She twisted and looked at the screen. "Are you working more on the tournament?" she asked.

"Mm. I am finishing the blueprints for the train."

She was baffled. "The _train_? As in the train we talked about last week?"

"Yes. I need to get these to the engineers so they have time to look it over before I meet with them next week," he said flatly.

"So you're almost done?" she said in disbelief.

"Mm. I need to take a business trip to set things in motion and figure out the route I will take for the tournament. Then, I have to go to the resort and look it over and see how I need to convert it for the finals." He brought his hands together and sat back in his chair. "I don't want to pull Mokuba out of school, but I also don't feel comfortable leaving him here alone." He thought this problem over in his mind.

"He can stay with me," Jem offered.

Seto looked to her. "Are you sure?" The way he asked made it clear that it would completely solve his problem.

"Yeah. When is it going to be?" she asked.

"Next Wednesday through Saturday," he stated, hoping it wouldn't change her answer.

Then Jem turned to the door. "Hey Mokuba!" she hollered. She was not very loud, but it was enough for Mokuba to hear her. They promptly heard the patter of feet approach the door and he entered.

"What is it, Jemmie?" he asked.

"Your brother will be gone for a few days next week. Do you want to come stay with me while he is away?" she offered.

"Really? I can?" She was glad he was excited.

"Of course," she replied.

"Well that's settled," was all Seto said before he immediately went back to work.

Jem studied him for a moment. He was so rigid, perfectly upright as she had often seen him before.

"Hey Mokuba," she began, "hand me those two books right there." Mokuba obliged. "You know Mokuba, perhaps you have never noticed, but your brother has impeccable posture." She balanced the first book on Seto's head and let go. He just kept doing what he was doing, as she had expected, not letting anything deter him from his task, and certainly not participating in something so pointless.

"You know, when I went to finishing school," she continued, twisting to get the other book, "they made us balance books on our heads to improve our posture." She then straightened up to balance the second book on her own head. But as she did, without meaning to, she had pushed her chest out, right at Seto's eye level. Without thinking he turned, just the slightest bit which may have otherwise gone unnoticed, but it caused the book to slide off his head. He caught it in the opposite hand without looking, his eyes still distracted.

He handed the book to Jem, who had assumed he had done it on purpose and had not realized the actual cause. He turned his eyes back to his work and she handed his book to Mokuba. "Here Mokuba, you try."

Mokuba took the book and placed it on his head. It quickly slid off. He caught it in his arms and tried to put it back. It stayed a moment longer before it fell again. Jem laughed, and he tried again. "Hey Mokuba, I need to draw a portrait of someone for my art class. Can I draw you with a book on your head?"

"Yeah," he uttered, focused on the text, "if I can get it to stay." It fell again and she laughed again, softly. She glanced at Seto out of the corner of her eye.

"Come on," she urged, taking the book off her head. She slid off his desk and took Mokuba's book, too, setting them both down on a table. "Let's go pack for this week and give your brother his space."

**Are we having fun yet?**

* * *

**Next Chapter: **"Distracted" - 'He was quiet for a moment, and then said, "She's perfect for you, Seto." My heart stopped.'


	6. Distracted

_Seto's POV_

Jem had left a while ago and Mokuba was keeping me company in my office. He sat on the couch watching TV. I worked through stats, through data and designs, but I couldn't focus on it. And it wasn't the TV that was distracting me.

I wondered what Jem was doing. If she was ok after the other day, or if she had any other episodes. _I bet she wouldn't tell me if she did._ For a moment, I felt better that Mokuba would be staying with her, and not just so she could watch him.

I thought about calling her and asking her to come back. True, she had been distracting, and though it was slightly irritating, as she interfered with my focus, it did not affect me in the way I was used to. Usually, I would be upset with whatever or whoever distracted me, but for the first time, I _liked_ what was distracting me. I liked the sound of her laugh. Her quiet observations. How she would just assume wrap her arms around me as I worked instead of demanding my attention. Somehow, it seemed more distracting that she was not here now.

These feelings were irritating and I didn't recognize them. They did not sit well with me, but I couldn't shake them. I thought about her fiery blue eyes and delicate smile that I had started to see more and more of. Then the image of her straightening up earlier dashed across my mind; that was certainly distracting all on its own. I thought about the warmth of her kiss, how her slender curves felt when I held her... I stopped working and sat back in my chair, letting a deep breath out, frustrated.

Mokuba noticed. "What is it, bro?"

As always I was reluctant to share. "I can't focus," was all I said.

"Well, what's distracting you?" he asked.

I did not want to talk to my younger brother about this stuff. I had no desire to talk to anyone about it, but I was confused. I didn't know what to do. I needed to deal with it so I could move on and get this done. If there was anyone I could talk to, it would be Mokuba. But I couldn't bring myself to say anything; however, that didn't matter. He knew me too well.

"Is it Jem?" he asked. He was quicker to decipher that than I had expected. I didn't know what to say. I was not going to talk about my feelings. It just wasn't going to happen.

I decided instead to give him a fact to answer his question. "She had a bad migraine the other day," I said flatly.

"She did? Is she ok?" Mokuba asked, concerned.

"She says she is, but I would like it if you kept an eye on her during your stay next week. Tell me if anything strange happens," I instructed.

"Gotcha." He looked at me. Thoughts still ran through my head and I still could not go back to work.

"But that's not all that's bothering you, is it?"

I said nothing. Mokuba took in a deep breath. "Seto," he offered, "did you really think there was never going to come a day when someone would catch your eye?" I thought about his question. Why yes, I suppose that is exactly what I had thought. "I mean, except of course Yugi," Mokuba joked.

This would normally be the part of the conversation where I would say something about how Yugi was a formidable opponent; but, it was only a matter of time before I defeated him and regained my title. Instead, I was still thinking about his question.

The smile on Mokuba's face faded when I didn't respond. "Wow, this is serious," he said. He was quiet for a moment, and then said, "She's perfect for you, Seto." My heart stopped. He continued. "She's cunning, she's independent, she's intelligent, she seems to really like you, and you exclusively. She's beautiful, and come on, blue eyes and pale skin? It's like she was made for you, big brother."

I stayed frozen. In a span of minutes Mokuba had dug farther into me than I had ever dared to myself. But it was his next comment that really shook me: "I'll be the first to say it: I love her." Mokuba waited a moment, seeing if I would admit to it, but when it didn't happen he gave up and turned back to the TV. This conversation had not comforted me at all. Now my mind was buzzing even more than before. There was no way I could work now.

"Mokuba, it's time for you to go to bed." Tonight he did not argue, he just turned off the TV and left me to myself.

I sat in silence for a moment, considering what to do, then picked up the phone and dialed. "Seto?" came her soft voice.

"Come back over," I said blatantly. I suppose I may have been a little too used to calling the shots.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Everything is fine," I said. Then I added, "I want you to come over."

"Hm," I heard. "I'll be over soon." And she hung up.

I set the phone down and looked at my spreadsheets._ This will just have to wait_.

I closed my laptop and left my office. I came across one of my staff and told him that I was expecting her. "I will be in my room. Send her there when she arrives."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba," he said and bowed.

When I entered my room, I could see that it was completely dark outside. My room was all white and emitted its own glow, but I wanted a touch more. "Flame," I said sternly. The fire sparked, and orange and yellow flames flared up. I decided I would try to shower before she got here. I went into my adjoining marble bathroom and stripped.

Once in the shower, I leaned one hand against the wall. I bent my head, letting the water run over my body. I didn't know what to make of all this. I was still frustrated, knowing the amount of work I had to do, but at the same time anticipated her arrival. It was confusing and irritating. I felt a little as though I had no control over myself, and that did not sit well with me.

I turned off the stream and stepped out, tying a towel around my waist. When I went back out into my room she was already there. Not expecting her to be here so soon, I stopped to look at her. The dress I had seen her in earlier today fell around her body as she sat in the glow of the fire, her feet up on the glass coffee table.

"Your fire is blue," she commented softly, mesmerized, then turned her eyes to me, "and you have no clothes on."

I said nothing, then walked over to her. As I did, she took her feet down and slid to the edge of the couch. I met her and offered her my hand, which she took and came to her feet. I wrapped my arms around her waist, as I had done so many times before, and pulled her to me. I kissed her cheek, then slowly found my way back, trailing around to the soft skin behind her ear and then down her neck. As I held her, I felt my sense of control start to return. Her arms tightened around my neck as she held herself closer to me. I heard her breath in my ear, becoming more shallow and irregular with every kiss. Her body sunk into my arms. She was lost, only reacting to my touch. She had let me touch her and embrace her before, but this was the first time she had truly let go. She had finally, in that moment, surrendered all control to me, and I felt and enjoyed the power that came with it. I made my way back up to her ear and said, "Stay the night," and kissed her again.

She kept her head against mine as she turned and I met her lips. She kissed me deeply, passionately, running her hands through my hair and arching her body against mine. I took that as a yes. I lowered my arms and hoisted her up around my body. She wrapped her legs around me as I stepped toward the bed.

All I could think was,_ This is finally going to happen_.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Early Morning" - the next morning... how will things be now?


	7. Early Morning

_Seto's POV_

I awoke to the early morning rays stretching through my bedroom. I saw her lying next to me. She was still here. It had really happened.

I felt a sense of ease now as I looked at her that I had not felt the night before. I felt refreshed.

I moved towards her, propping my head up on my hand. She still slept, turned away from me. If I hadn't known she was there, I might have looked right over her. Her white skin and platinum hair, lightened even more by the morning rays, blended in all too well with the white room. But I could still see the curve of her hip trace down to her waist under the white sheet. I took my hand and gently ran it over the line I had just studied. As I did she stirred and rolled to her back, guiding my hand onto her stomach. Her body leaned against mine and our skin reconnected. Our faces met and she kissed me once, twice. Her hand found my face and she gently trailed it down to my chest and rested it there.

"Seto, you're here." she said quietly.

"You stayed." I replied. She finally opened her eyes; the bright blue distinct against the negative space.

"I did," she said. Then she closed her eyes again as she went into a stretch, her back and stomach arching against my hand, her legs elongated. And then all at once brought herself together and rolled me onto my back. She sat up and looked around. Her hair fell around her face; it was the first time I had seen it free. If she was now looking for her headband, well, _good luck with that_.

But she had other thoughts. "I should probably go before Mokuba wakes up," she said. My world had been suspended until she mentioned my younger brother. I then remembered all the work I had not finished last night. All my responsibilities. I had been so stressed and irritated by what I was feeling last night – it was confusing. But what I felt in the early morning glow was too effortless and pure to attempt to fight.

She turned and dangled her legs over my bed. I watched her as she redressed. Her skin disappeared, covered by the flowing cloth. She went over and claimed her shoes, which she had left by the couch. As my eyes followed her, I noticed the fire was still burning, though barely. And it was blue, just as she had mentioned the previous night.

She brought her shoes back, sitting on my bed to put them on. Then she turned and leaned down to me for one last kiss. As she turned away to leave I caught her arm and pulled her back down to me, taking one more.

And then she was gone.

It was quiet and still, and I was alone again. I usually enjoyed this time of day, but it was too quiet, too still, now that she had been here and gone. But my mind was calm as I cast my eyes back to the last flames, again dancing orange.

With her gone, all that was left was for me to do was get up. I had feelings, but they were no longer confusing or distracting. I only felt her absence, and with that I was able to get back to work.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Slumber Party" - During his stay with Jem, Mokuba finds out some things about her that he could find worrisome


	8. Slumber Party

Jem's alarm went off and she hit snooze. She did this every morning, and Avery knew it. Avery was already up, and knocked once before opening her door.

"Jemmie?" he started.

"What is it," she grumbled.

"Well, it's little Mokuba's first day. I thought perhaps you should be the one to go wake him up." Avery suggested.

"Yeah," she yawned and slowly sat up, "I'll go do that." Avery closed the door as her feet reached the floor.

She walked briskly to Mokuba's room, picking her feet up quickly off the cool morning floor. Like Avery, she knocked once before opening the door. She went and sat on Mokuba's bed. "Hey, Mokuba," she said gently. He stirred and she placed a hand on his back and started to rub it. "Good morning. It's that time."

"Wha-? Now?" he mumbled.

"Well, I guess we have a couple minutes-" she surmised. Her heavy body laid down next to him, still tired. _I will just rest for one minute, while I wait_, she thought. They were both a little more tired than normal, since they had stayed up later than usual with Mokuba's arrival. Jem was not used to having someone else she was responsible for, and may have even been somewhat unaware of what her responsibilities were with him. But after a while, Avery had encouraged them both to go to bed.

Then the door opened, letting in the bright morning light. "Up, up! Both of you."

They both grumbled. Mokuba slid out of bed and Jem stood up. "You know where everything is?" she asked.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

"Ok, once you are dressed, Avery will have breakfast prepared in the kitchen."

She went back to her room and got ready. When she came back out in her school uniform, Mokuba was already in his, chowing down on pancakes.

"You got to make pancakes," she said to Avery. She wasn't much for them, so he never made them. But she knew he loved making them.

"Yes!" he said. "And here is your fresh fruit and milk." He said, setting it in front of her as she sat down.

"Thanks," she said. She noticed he was already fully and sharply dressed, again. "You know, you are not required to get dressed to make breakfast. You're not a 50s housewife." she commented.

"Oh, it's a personal preference," he replied.

They finished eating and Avery cleared the dishes. "Alright, are you ready?" she asked Mokuba.

"Let me just get my back-pack," said Mokuba, rushing back to his room.

"What a dear child," noted Avery.

"Yeah, he's a sweet kid." Jem agreed.

She walked through the opening that lead to the entryway. Mokuba was already back. Jem picked up her bag and her keys. "Ok, this is it," she said as they walked out.

Mokuba followed her down to her car. She clicked a button and the lights flashed. She still had her slick silver sports-car. "Whoa," said Mokuba. "We're taking _that_ to school. _That's_ yours?"

"Yes." she answered as she continued to walk briskly towards it.

"So you have money?" he asked, "Is it your own?"

"Yeah, why did you think I was after your brother's?" she laughed.

He hesitated before he answered. "It's not so much you, it's something I worry about in general."

"I can understand that." she responded. "No, the money was my mother's. I inherited it."

"So your mother had a lot of money? What did she do?" he asked. That was when Jem realized that Mokuba still didn't know who her parents were. It was never said around him at the castle, and she supposed never brought up again after that.

Jem stopped walking and paused. She was reluctant to do this, but she knew she had to. Jem knelt down to his level. "Mokuba," she started. _How do I tell him that I my father is the man who has kidnapped him numerous times?_ But she knew this was her opportunity, the opportunity she had missed with Seto. _Please do not let this change his opinion of me-_ "Do you know my last name?" she asked.

He thought a minute. "No, I guess I don't. What is it?"

"Mokuba, I apologize, I thought you knew this." She took a breath. "My name is Jemmea Lee Pegasus. I am the daughter of Maximillion and Cecilia Pegasus." Jem spoke slowly and watched his reaction to every word.

She watched him process it, still not knowing how he was going to take it. But after a few seconds, all he said was, "Oh! _That's_ why you were at Duelist Kingdom. That makes sense. I always wondered why you were there."

Jem was overcome with relief. All she could do was reach out and entrap him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry you only found out just now, but I am glad I was able to tell you. I missed the opportunity to tell your brother."

"Does he know?" Mokuba asked, slightly concerned.

"Yes, he knows." She answered and let go of him. Then stood up and said, "Ok, time for school."

He looked at the car again as he got in, a mischievous grin on his face.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Sweet Things" - You won't believe the questions Mokuba has for Jem, and neither can she, and all she can do is ask that he not tell his brother her answers.


	9. Sweet Things

**luckyxtrick: I love it, you _totally _get my story. Every time I read one of your reviews, I think "I've already written about that in a later chapter!" And then I just wait until I finally get it up so _you_ can read it and think of you somewhere going "Ha! I totally called it!" Yet at the same time I still manage to surprise you. This chapter has a couple in it... enjoy!**

_Jem's POV_

"Alright-" I said, making a few more marks on the paper. "It's done!"

The book fell from Mokuba's head just as I turned the paper around and held it up. It was a funny little picture, the boy with the book on his head. I could only take this class so seriously.

"What do you think? Do you like it?" I asked. Seto was still away on his trip and it was Mokuba's third day staying with me.

"Yeah," he replied, looking at it.

I set the paper down. "What do you say I take you out for ice cream as a thank you?"

"Sure!" he exclaimed.

"Ok," I said, "Go get your shoes on." As he went off, I went to get my bag and then stopped in the kitchen. Avery was at the table. "I am taking Mokuba out to get ice cream." I know I did not need to tell Avery these things, but I did not have much else to say to him, and I wanted him to know I appreciated him being here.

"Sounds fun. It sure has been a delight having a child around the house." Avery remarked.

"Yes, well, we will see you later," I said and went back to the door to find Mokuba ready. "All right, here we go," I announced, pushing the door open. Mokuba walked under my arm before I let go of the door and followed.

We walked down the street to the ice cream place, pointing out interesting things and people we saw on the way. As we walked, I spotted the children's hospital that Avery volunteered at and remembered what he had told me. "Hold on," I said, "I want to stop in here."

Mokuba followed me like a baby chick as I walked up to the main desk. "Excuse me," I said to a weary woman behind the counter. She looked up at me and I kept talking, "I was talking to one of your volunteers and he said you needed about a million dollars to build a new ward?"

"Yes," she said not really caring to make chit chat. I started to dig in my bag. "Do you have an appointment or...?" she trailed off, waiting for me to fill in the blank.

I glanced up and followed her line of vision to Mokuba. "Oh no, he's fine. Ok here-" I said finding my checkbook and a pen. I was not sure of the exact amount, "I will give you a little extra, how does two million sound? No, I will put three just to be safe. Build two wards for all I care," I said as I started to write out the check. The woman looked at me, confused. I signed the check and held it up, "I will give this to you on one condition: _**no one**_ is to know where it came from." The woman still had a baffled look on her face as I handed her the check. I was sure none of this made sense to her, but she would figure it out. She looked the check over to see if it was real and her jaw dropped. "You have a nice day," I said and turned to Mokuba, "All right Mokuba, let's go get some ice cream." I think he was also a little confused as we exited the hospital.

"Why did you do that?" Mokuba asked when we got outside.

I looked down at him and frowned. "Because they needed a new ward, I didn't." He was quiet, thinking. We walked down to the park where the ice cream stand was and picked out our flavors. I liked Mokuba and I liked spending time with him. He reminded me of Seto.

"_...and oh, my dreams, it's never quite as it seems, cause you're a dream to me, dream to me..."_

"You've been doing that a lot lately." Mokuba noted.

"What?" I asked.

"Singing to yourself." he answered.

"Hm. I haven't noticed. I guess I have just been kind of cheerful recently." I replied. "Weird."

We found a bench, and as we sat down, he asked, "Did you and my brother have sex? Is that why?"

"Mokuba!" I yelled. I was blown away and frantically trying to think of what to say.

But he kept going, "Well if that's not it," he paused, _please don't say anything else about sex,_ I thought. He looked me in the eye. "Jem, are you in love with my brother?"

This question surprised me as much as the first. I still did not say anything. Seto and I had never talked about whatever feelings we had for one another, or perhaps never even admitted it to ourselves. Personally, I didn't want to acknowledged them because I was afraid as soon as I did, I would discover Seto didn't feel the same way.

I felt this was dangerous territory. But I did not have to say anything, I could tell by the look on his face that he already knew the answer. I looked him in the eye and pleaded, "Please, don't tell your brother."

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Catching Up" - Seto is back from his trip, and Joey still can't take a hint


	10. Catching Up

_Seto's POV_

I had collected Mokuba earlier that day when I got back from my trip, but I had not been able to speak to Jem. She said she would stop by my company later that night.

"How was it Mokuba?" I asked on our way back in the limo.

"It was fun! How was your trip big brother?"

"I took care of everything I needed to. So?" I looked at Mokuba, "Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"You mean like weird stuff?" he asked. "Like headaches?"

"Yes, anything?" I pried.

"Nothing I saw," he said, "she seems to be fine."

"Mm." came my standard response.

Jem showed up at my office about an hour after dark. She had turned the chair on the other side of my desk sideways and was curled up in it, leaning her side against the back. One arm bent across the top, her head resting on it. Her shoes abandoned beside her and her feet tucked to one side. She had been sitting there for a while, again mesmerized by the city lights in the dark night as I continued to work.

"How was Mokuba?" I inquired. I was still working, but now with less required focus.

"Good," she answered. "I think we both enjoyed his stay; but I did have to talk with him. You never told him about my father?"

"What about your father?" I asked. I thought about her father and how he had warned me to stay away from her, telling me that I always wanted what I can't have. And then I thought about the other night before I left. _I should send him a thank you note_, I mused to myself.

"Well, that he is my father," she answered.

"No." I replied. I had not told Mokuba, and had planned to avoid telling him unless it was relevant. No need to now.

I continued with business. She stayed still and just studied me for a long time as I worked. Then she asked, "So how did it go?"

"Everything is going as planned." I answered. "They have already started on the train and making adjustments at the resort. I'm going to announce the tournament Monday afternoon and it will begin a month thereafter."

"This is all happening within a month?" she repeated, then muttered to herself, "Wow, that's fast." She thought, still motionless, and then after a moment, "So am I ever going to see you again?" she inquired.

I grinned as I continued to type. "You will. Once I have regained my title and proven that I am truly the best there is, I will come back." She just looked at me, expressionless, as she continued to study me.

She sighed. "Well, you have a lot to do. I should go home, anyway." She got up and walked to the door. "I will see you Monday in class," was all she said before she left. But she quickly reappeared. "Oh, one more thing: you need to have a sex talk with your brother." And then she was gone.

I sat there, stunned, staring at the spot where she had disappeared.

_Jem's POV_

Tuesday was the day after Seto announced his tournament. Tuesday was a day I had art with Joey. Joey never stopped talking, and Joey loved duel monsters. It was a terrible combination.

"Yug and I just heard that Kaiba's throwin another tournament soon. I can't stand da guy, but I will admit he has a talent for trowing tournaments. I can't wait! It's been so long since my last one. So you gonna be in Kaiba's new tournament?"

"No, Joey." I said annoyed.

"No? Really? Do you not have the time or somethin?"

"I don't duel, Joey."

"Really? But your dad-"

I slammed my pen down and turned to face him, which I always avoided at all costs. "I _do not_ want to talk about my father. Don't ever bring him up to me again." I said fiercely.

And that time, it worked. I had finally silenced him.

_Joey's POV_

I had da same lunch period as Duke; da rest of da gang had a different schedule. I was watching Jem over at da table only Kaiba had sat at before she came. She had pushed her picked at food away and was readin, as usual.

"Ya think she gets lonely over dere all by herself?" I asked Duke.

"I don't know, probably. She could just be antisocial." he responded.

"Na, she can't be. She answers me and actually says stuff when I talk to her. She's probably just really shy." I said. "You know, we should go over and sit with her."

"Well, if you're sure," he said.

"Course I'm sure. C'mon." Duke and I wandered over and each sat down in a free chair next to Jem. She looked up.

"Hello, Jemmea. It's nice to see you again. How have you been?" Duke asked.

She studied him for a minute, puzzled. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"We're here ta keep ya company, Jem." I said happily.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't need this," she muttered. She closed her book and put it in her bag. Then she stood up and started to walk out.

I got up and walked after her. "Whoa whoa whoa, where ya goin? How's about I walk you there?" I said as I got close. I put my hand on the small of her back and tried to take her bag. Before I even got the bag off her shoulder she had pulled it back and grabbed my hand and twisted it around. I cried out, "Ow, dat hurts!"

"**No one** touches me," she hissed. She let go of me, then spun around and left hastily. I grasped my wrist and rubbed it. It still hurt.

"Guess she's not shy," Duke concluded.

**Namara Jane Knight: I appreciate you commenting fast, and I'm really glad you're enjoying it!**

**luckyxtrick: I cringed a little when I read that. But before I address that, in terms of the 'how much,' I've decided to leave it as vague as they do for Kaiba and Pegasus in the show, so even I'm not entirely sure. Just a lot. Now, I don't know if you peek at my profile page, but if you haven't I post updates sometimes on where I am with the stories. I have many drafts of chapters written for up to the third fic, and I'm afraid I might have to disappoint you... but as always it plays into Kaiba's best interest so hopefully with that you'll be able to forgive me. And speaking of...**

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Unscheduled Meeting" - You guys just wait for this one.


	11. Unscheduled Meeting

_Seto's POV_

"Mr. Kaiba, I have a man here saying he needs to speak with you," my secretary said through the phone. "He's an essential partner, shall I send him in?"

I sat in my office high above the city. I was in no mood to have an impromptu meeting with anyone; but, I knew my secretary would not dare ask if she even questioned if it were important or not. She had made that mistake once before, and I knew she would dare not make it again. "Send him in." I replied unhappily.

However, my secretary was wrong again: the man who next came into my office I may have considered the least significant person alive. The doors opened and in strolled Pegasus, followed by a handful of his goons. I was surprised he dared show his face here. That was probably why he had so many men with him: he knew he was in my territory now and far away from the safety of his private island.

"What are you doing here, Pegasus?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh Kaiba-boy, so nice to see you. I know you're a busy boy, in fact I hear you'll be hosting a new tournament soon. I swear, you're the best promotion for my product, and I don't have to do anything! How generous!"

"You have five seconds to get out of my office." I was getting angrier with each passing second he stood there.

"Oh, yes. Now you have a business to run and I have a business to run, so I'll cut to the chase: I'm looking for my daughter. I know she left my island with you and I have had no luck tracking her down. Where did she have you take her? Where did you drop her off? We go so far back Kaiba-boy, do me this one little favor and tell me what you know."

I knew where she was; I so badly wanted to rub it in his face. It took all my restraint to keep from telling him '_I last saw her this morning, in my bed, asleep in my arms_.' I stood up, leaning my hands on my desk. "How dare you come to my office, to my city, and make demands. Get out now, I have no time to deal with your own pathetic failures."

"Come now, the sooner you tell me what you know, the sooner I'll be gone." he insisted.

And then I lost my temper. "You told me that you would be devastated to see any man drag her down, yet here you are tracking her like an animal! I had to carry her unconscious body away from your castle. I will _never_ turn her over to you."

His voice became fierce, "So you do know where she is!"

"Get out before I call the police. Or worse, find my own way to deal with you." I snarled.

"Mark my words, Kaiba, I _will_ get my daughter back. And if I find out you have done anything to her, it will be I who deals with you." he warned.

"Your empty threats don't scare me, Pegasus. **Get out!**" I roared.

He looked at me and hummed, frustrated, and then turned on his heel and left, followed by his goons. I sat back down in my chair and folded my hands. I didn't think that Pegasus would be able to find her, but still, she would have to spend many more nights in my arms now if I was ever going to get any sleep.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "I Should Have Known" - Jem finds out somethings that we may take for granted, but how does she take that? And what will it mean to others?


	12. I Should Have Known

**luckyxtrick: oh yeah, if Kaiba's going to do something, than that's it (get out of the way!). The real reason I made her Peg's daughter is because Kaiba's so competitive, so I wanted to establish that he did actually like her first (hence the annoying school chapters and the date), but I use his whole deal with Pegasus as a driving force to get him to actually do other stuff. Since Kaiba has trust issues, I don't see him ever repairing things with Peg. Jem seems to have earned his trust by never double crossing him (and making up for it when she just never told him who she was), and also not being something that he sees as intimidating (really more of a prize). And of course there's more, there's always more with Kaiba! I'm glad to see you're thinking about it as much as I do, he's such an interesting character. And I totally laughed when I read "drive him to be a total douche," love it!**_  
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_Jem's POV_

I had taken Mokuba out for ice cream again. I enjoyed his company, but he was also a good excuse for me to go get ice cream. "Oh Moka, with your mocha ice cream," I doted. Through these walks and ice cream ventures, I had taken to occasionally calling him Moka. With his complexion, name, and now favorite ice cream flavor, it was just too fitting.

As we walked back with our treats, we people watched as usual. I saw a kid walking down the street with a strange contraption on his arm. I had been seeing a lot of people with them in the past few days. I pointed it out to Mokuba.

"Look at that, Moka. Isn't it strange? I have been seeing a lot of people with them recently. Must be some new fad."

"What, the duel disk?" he responded.

"That's it? That's what it's called?" I asked. _Kids always know about these things_.

"Yeah, they need them to participate in my brother's tournament." _Or that's why he knows_. "They're the latest model, they have different modes and bluetooth now!"

"I see." I said and licked my ice cream.

"Seto's made the tournament really cool. Everyone who signs up gets a duel disk and one of several items. They bargain and wager what items they will be gambling before they start each duel. To get to the next round, they'll have to collect one bronze card, one silver card, and one gold card to be able to make it to the finals.

"The bronze gets them into the terminal where the train will be, and the silver is the key to their cabin on the train. There are only eight of the silver cards and eight of the bronze cards. There are only four gold cards, which are the keys to the finalist rooms and elitist areas at the resort, including the final dueling arena. To get to the quarter-finals, they will need to get a bronze and silver card and ideally a gold card."

I licked my ice cream as we continued to walk and kept listening. "They will also need to acquire a map card with the location of the train terminal and a time and date card to tell them when to be there. There are lots of those, but even if they find out when and where, they will actually need all the metallic cards to physically advance.

"Finally, there are a bunch of guest passes. They need one per person per location. The blue ones, there are only four, will earn them a guest cabin on the train. There are a lot more green cards, which will be keys to extra rooms at the resort. We have four green cards on reserve for the quarter-finalists who do not advance. Ideally, they have to win a green and blue card per guest for the guest to stay for the whole time. The extra green cards are more for people who lose but still want to come see the finals, if they can get there. Except for me, I help my brother run the tournament, so get my own security clearance card!"

I smiled at him. He continued. "Seto says he wants Yugi to actually work to get his friends on this time since they always insist on coming. Once on the train, contestants without a gold card will challenge a contestant with a gold card."

"Well, Seto has certainly thought this through." I commented. I was not disinterested, though only for their sake – I just could not get excited about it like they did.

We continued to walk back the way we had come. I bit into my cone. Mokuba hastily worked at his ice cream, trying to catch up as it had melted slightly while he was talking. Then I looked ahead of us and could not believe what I saw. At first, I thought it might have been a balloon, but it looked too real. Then it cried out and moved, full of life.

"Oh my god, Mokuba, there's a dragon- there's a fucking dragon!" I screamed. I stepped away, trying to think of where we could go that would be safe. I still couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"Yeah..." Mokuba said, unenthused. I did not understand, how was he not as shocked as I was? He looked at me, puzzled. "...it's a hologram. You've never seen this before?" he kept looking at me. I still did not understand. Then he seemed to put two and two together. "You must have been sent away to those boarding schools you mentioned right before my brother invented it."

"Your brother _invented_ that?" I marveled. I suppose it made sense. He had been reading a book on holographic technology the day we met.

"Yeah, Jem, that's what he does. You didn't know that?"

"No," I responded, looking at it again. _Seto made that?_ I thought, still bewildered. "I guess I am not really sure what I thought your brother did, but it certainly wasn't _that_."

That was when he looked at me, dazzled, but not for the same reason I was. "You truly have just liked my brother this whole time."

I looked at him the same way I had when he asked me why I donated that money. "Of course I have."

Then he suddenly clung to me, taking me off guard. He squeezed me right around my waist so I could not move, his head against my ribcage. "I love you," he said. And then expanded upon his comment before, "And again Jem, it's not you, it's just something I worry about for my brother. I've always worried that even if someone did like him, their true interest wouldn't be in who he really was."

I patted him on the back, since he had immobilized me. "I love you, too." I admitted. Then I added, "And I understand, my brother feels the same way about me. But yeah, I like your brother. I suppose I have liked him since the first time I laid eyes on him, but only because it looked like he would leave me alone. I wouldn't want you to start believing that 'love at first sight' really exists." I looked back up, still amazed at what I saw ahead of me. And again, all I could say was, "Mokuba, there's a _fucking_ dragon," and then, "...don't tell your brother I swore around you."

He ignored the last part and let go of me. "Yeah, and by the looks of it, it's a Blue Eyes White Dragon. You know what that means, right?" I think that was supposed to be a rhetorical question. He started walking towards it and I followed him.

"No..." I said, a little embarrassed that I was supposed to know this, too.

"Really?" he uttered.

"Yeah... what does it mean?" I asked.

"It means Seto's dueling! He's the only person in the world who has a Blue Eyes White Dragon." he explained. Then he looked up at me and stressed as much as he could, "He _loves _his Blue Eyes White Dragons. He has three, by the way. You should know that, too."

Within the next few minutes, we had approached where the duel was being held. There was a crowd that had formed around them. We stood back from the tight clusters. I looked up at the beast to study it now that it was closer. It was about a million times more impressive.

"White lightning attack!" I heard Seto's voice. The dragon cried again and shot a current of electricity at the other monster, and then the holograms disappeared. His opponent crumbled to the ground. _His opponent seems to be having a drama attack_. I thought to myself. Then I thought about how important this was to Seto. _Take it seriously Jem, take it seriously._

The crowd started to disperse. I looked to Seto and heard little comments people made as they passed, "What was he thinking, challenging Seto Kaiba?" "Boy, that Seto Kaiba sure is handsome." _He is damn handsome_, I thought to myself. "Handsome? That's what you noticed? Did you even watch what he was doing? He's _brutal_." _Huh, ok, or that._

The losing contestant walked over and held out his hand, keeping his head down the whole time. Seto snatched what the man had offered with the sweep of his arm and put it in the front of his trench coat, smirking the whole time. "Maybe now you'll learn to stay down in the minor leagues." Seto gloated.

"Way to go, big brother!" Mokuba cheered as he ran to Seto. When he heard Mokuba's voice he turned in our direction. First he saw Mokuba galloping towards him, then he noticed me. "What did you get, bro?"

Seto turned back to Mokuba. "He had a gold card and a map." He answered gruffly. Then he walked over to me.

"Hey, boy genius. What have you been doing today?" I greeted.

"Winning duels." he stated.

"Ah yes." I took the last bite of my ice cream cone brushed my hands together as I finished my treat.

"Are you coming over tonight?" he asked in his rough voice. He had been inviting me over a lot as of the past couple of weeks. We had stopped trying as hard to hide it from Mokuba. Seto had told me that the boy was a lot more mature than he may appear.

"Actually, I have to finish my painting for my art class. Funny enough," I gestured towards where I had seen the hologram, "I am painting a dragon."

But he did not waver. "Then I will come by later." He must have still been wound up from his duel, because he spoke in an even more curt manner than I was used to from him. His tone was possibly the reason people did not like him so much. I did not take it personally, however. Compared to the people I grew up around, Seto was an upright, courteous, overly-polite gentleman.

I tilted my head. "Ok. Fine by me."

"Good. Come on, Mokuba." Then he left, walking past me, back towards his company. Once he passed, I took a step and continued on my way back home, looking over my shoulder once more to see the pair of brothers I had come to adore.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Painting" - Kaiba drops by after his day of winning duels as Jem finishes her painting. How will she take it when Seto makes a comparison to her father? That, and Seto manages to acquire everything he wants before the quarter-finals.


	13. Painting

_Seto's POV_

It was very late when I arrived at her door. I knocked and waited a moment. After a minute, I heard a couple muffled footsteps at the door before I heard the latch turn, and she opened the door promptly after. "You should look first and see who it is before you open the door." I urged.

"I'm not too worried about it. Come in." She stood back and I entered. She closed the door behind me and briskly walked back over to her painting before I could touch or greet her in any way. "Sorry, I'm a mess," she noted. She was barefoot, wearing loose clothing. Her hair was tied back in a thoughtless bun, some wisps escaping where they pleased. She had little strokes of paint all over her. And she was still beautiful.

"I am just finishing up," she said as she picked up her brush and pallet. She had started working earlier, I could tell. Whenever she was working hard on something into the night, she forgot to turn the lights on. Instead, she worked by the glow of the city.

She had an easel up in an open space nearby one of the huge windows. I walked slowly up to stand by her, examining the painting, my hands in my pockets. Her painting was of a pale, thin dragon with huge, triple hinged wings over a background of blue embers. She made a few more brush strokes, trying to give one last flame some life. She stood back. "The dragon just kind of came to me, but I got the idea for the blue embers from that fire you had going a while ago." She picked up a cloth and began to wipe her hands. "I have heard of chemical elements and compounds that will turn flames different colors." She turned to me and smirked, "It is just like you to have blue fire."

"I didn't do anything to the fire." I disclosed, looking over her painting.

"Huh," she said turning back to the painting, "how strange."

'_Strange things are about to happen, and she will need your help...'_ Ishizu's voice echoed through my thoughts. I quickly rejected it, pushed it out of my mind, not wanting her to ever cross it again.

I studied the painting with Jem. The style, technique, and subject were all too familiar. "Isn't this what your father does?"

"Oh god," I could see her shoulders and face sink, "does it look like that?"

I took out my deck and held out one of my Blue Eyes cards. "If Joey has worn on me in any way, I'm going to fucking lose it," she said as she set the rag down. She took the card. "Oh," she held it up and looked at me, "this is the one I saw you play today." She took the card in both hands and looked from it to her painting.

"Oh no," she breathed and handed the card back to me. I returned it to my deck and put my cards away. "And Joey will be all over this, he will never stop talking to me!" she realized. "I can't have this." She took a step forward and reached for the painting. She was going to toss it out.

I quickly reached out, "Stop." I put one arm around the front of her chest and one arm around her stomach and pulled her back. Since that first night, I had learned the tricks to coax her into doing whatever I wanted. I lowered my head and placed my mouth close to her ear. Then I said, "That half-witted mutt is too stupid to make any sort of connection. You would have to explain it to him for him to even gain the slightest bit of insight. If you're really worried about it, just turn it in before class. Besides, if you destroy this one you'll have to start all over." I kissed her exposed neck, "And I want to have that time."

"Mm." she said, her eyes closed. "You have a compelling case, Mr. Kaiba." She turned and kissed me tenderly on the lips. "Just let me take a quick shower." I let her go.

She hustled off to her room. I followed her, slowly. When I reached the door frame, she was already taking her clothes off. As she stripped down to her essentials, I went and sat on her bed. She reached up and took out the elastic from her hair as she walked past me, placing it on her side table. As she bent a little to set it down, some of her platinum hair fell forward over her shoulder. I looked her over. She was divine. When she turned to walk back I could not help myself. I held out my arm and gently stopped her, placing my hand on the far side of her waist. She stopped at my touch. I reached up with my other hand, placing one on either side of her, and turned her towards me. I slid both my hands to the small of her back and pulled her closer. Her skin was warm and soft. I kissed her stomach over and over, taking all the time I wanted

"Mm." I heard her again. "Seto..." she breathed. Her head fell back and her hands wove into my hair. Her scent, her taste, her skin, her shape, the way she said my name... I had been overworking myself for over a month, stress mounting the whole time. But I had gotten it all done; the tournament, all my work. And just that day, I had won everything I needed to make it to the finals. I was at the top. At that moment I was overcome. I had earned this. It was mine to have.

I wrapped my arms all the way around her and held her in my arms. I twisted, bringing her down onto the bed with me. As she kissed me, I felt her hand reach out and rest on the handle of her nightstand.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Invitation" - Kaiba has a realization, but does he make the right decision? And what will that mean for him?


	14. Invitation

_Seto's POV_

She lay in bed next to me, gazing into my eyes, gently clearing my hair from my face with her fingers.

"Mokuba was telling me all about the tournament today. Sounds intricate." she said softly.

I responded by turning my face and kissing her wrist, paint strokes still there, leaving my mouth pressed there momentarily. I closed my eyes. "Mm." I turned back and restored our gaze.

"He said he is going to go with you and help you out," She was more awake and active than I was, I could tell. I was just trying to relish the moment I had treated myself to.

"Yes," I ran my hands from her hips to her back and pulled her towards me. "He always does." I already knew all the things she was asking me about, and at that moment I found her figure far more interesting.

"I thought you did not like him to miss school?" she continued.

"I don't. I hire a tutor to come along when it's for a long period of time." I shortly answered her questions as I focused on the warmth of her body.

"Mm," she moved her hand and started to play with the top of my hair, letting it rise up between her fingers and fall at its extent. She brushed it away from my eyes. "So when do you leave?" she asked.

I looked at her, her eyes following her hand as she continued to entrance herself and toy with my hair. I would be leaving soon. I would be gone from this. I looked at her pale white skin, every delicate blue vein visible; how easily she must bruise... _Perhaps I should be more gentle with her_.

I thought about when we had fled Duelist Kingdom. I saw it again, her tossed to the ground, then motionless. It had been almost a full year since that night, and Pegasus had been searching for her ever since. I had not told her about how Pegasus had come to my office. So long as I was here, he would be hesitant to make a move. But soon I would be far away. And he knew it. I could not have that in the back of my mind when I fought to regain my title. I was on a mission. I couldn't risk allowing anyone to have anything they could use against me. And once I reclaimed my title, I wanted that to be it. I didn't want to then have to fight to get something else back. I made a decision.

"Do you want to go for a train ride?" I asked her.

"Really?" she stopped stroking my hair and propped herself up on her elbow. "Ride on your badass train? For what? Like a test run?"

"No." I made it clear. "For the tournament."

"What," She giggled, "are you going to give me a guest pass?"

"No," I knew she knew the answer, but I told her anyway. "It's my tournament, I can do whatever I want. Besides," I was not used to having to convince anyone of anything, and it wasn't everyday that I had the time to take her apart like this, but I thought I could use one to make the other more enticing, "you wouldn't need one, you'd be staying in my room. You would have no need for a key to another."

"Hmm." she mused at the thought. She looked at me, thinking it over.

I came up to her and tilted her body back with my own, kissing behind her ear and making my request as appealing as I needed.

"When is it?" she asked, still trying to work it out in her head.

"In three days."

"Three days," she repeated. And then came her solid, "Yes."

I smiled to myself, kissed her again, and then rolled her back over to me.

_First Person_

I stood over my last opponent, wilted at my feet. The city was dark and quiet, with a cool, still air. I put the last of my winnings away and took out my phone. It rang once before he answered.

"Master Pegasus, I have everything I need to enter the finals. I am to be at the train station the day after next at noon." I reported.

"Good. Be sure to be there. Keep me informed." he instructed.

"Of course." I confirmed, and the call was over.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Partings and Arrivals" - Some of our favorite characters climb aboard the Blue Eyes Express


	15. Partings and Arrivals

_Jem's POV_

Seto had told me he would send for me again at 11am. I picked up a small bag I had with a few belongings and changes of clothes. It was 10:45, not quite time to go downstairs, but not quite enough time to do anything. I looked at myself in the mirror. I pulled at my hair a bit and ran my hands over my dress. Then I left and went to the living room where Avery was sitting and reading, his legs crossed and reading glasses low on his nose.

"Ok, I am going to head out, it's almost 11." I told him.

He looked up from his book. "Time already? Well ok then, let me say goodbye." He set his book and reading glasses down on the coffee table and stood up. He came over and hugged me, hunched over a little, with his arms around my shoulders. _I wonder if this is what it feels like to have a proper father_, I thought. I turned my head, resting it briefly against his shoulder, and set my hands on his back.

"Ok," he said and let go of me. "Be sure to pay attention so you are where you're supposed to be. And be careful. You know how to reach me should you need anything."

"Yes, thank you. Take care, Avery." I said as I turned away.

I was still a couple minutes early, but the limo was already there when I went outside. When I ducked in, Mokuba was waiting for me. "Jemmie, I'm so excited you're coming! Are you ready for this? It's going to be awesome!"

"I guess," I said as I pulled my leg in and the driver closed the door.

"Here," Mokuba said. "Seto wanted me to give you this." It was a white card that only had 'KC' on it. "It's your card for the train; he said it will get you into his room. Look, I have one too!" he said and showed me his card. His, however, was black. I assumed because he had access to more places, since he would be helping his brother.

"Thanks, Mokuba." I said and took the card.

We arrived at the train station. "Here we are," stated the driver as he opened the door again.

Mokuba and I climbed out of the car. "It's this way!" he said excitedly and started to walk into the building. I followed him through the crowds to a large door in the corner. It seemed so out of place. Mokuba slid his black card through a card reader next to the door and the door opened. I followed him down the stairs. As we descended underground, a silver train started to reveal itself. "This is it!" said Mokuba. It was modeled after the dragon I had seen twice now. _Mokuba wasn't exaggerating when he said Seto loved his dragon_, I realized.

I stepped onto the train after Mokuba. "Welcome aboard the Blue Eyes Express." he exclaimed.

"It is so wide." I observed.

"Yep. It's so big it runs on double tracks." he informed me. "I'll show you where Seto's room is."

The train consisted of open spaces and clean lines, as I suppose I should have expected. Mokuba led me through a hallway and stopped at the first door. "It's this one. Go ahead, try your card."

I took out my card and ran it through the reader. The door slid open. "Ok," said Mokuba. "Now it's time I go make sure everything is in place for when the finalists start arriving." Then he hugged me and looked up at me. "I'm glad you're here," he said. I simply smiled and put a hand on his hair. He let go and pointed to a button on the wall. "Call if you need anything. Bye!" he said as he ran off. The door slid closed behind him.

I sighed and looked around. The room was large with a seating area and attached bathroom. There was a huge bed deeper in the room, but aside from that it was just open space. One wall was all glass, but being underground and on the side opposite the boarding platform, there was nothing to see. _I wonder how often they will actually be in their rooms._ Then a thought occurred to me that I had completely neglected until now: _What am I actually supposed to do here? _ I continued to look around as I walked across the room slowly. I found a space in the wall, closer to the bed, that looked as though it could be drawers. I went over and pulled, and sure enough, they were. I put my bag in and closed it again, then I went and sat on the bed. I had a feeling Seto would not be here for a while. _Now what?_

I had been wanting to speak to my twin. It had been a while since I last talked to him. Sometimes, being with the Kaiba brothers made me miss him, adorable as they were. I do not think Seto would ever appreciate being described as 'adorable,' but with their matching lockets and all that, they really were. And I did not hate it. However, I also would never mention it.

I wondered if this was one of those magical spots underground where there was still service. I pulled out my phone. It was not. I spotted a phone in the room and picked it up. It had a dial tone. I punched in a special sequence so that the call would go through as though it were still from my phone. I knew that my father knew I would contact Jude, and he would try to use him to find me. I had been able to rig my phone in a way my father could not track, with Seto's genius of course.

His phone rang twice and he answered. "Hey Jude." I said.

"Sis! What's up?" he said, thrilled and surprised.

"Oh, nothing really. I might lose you because I am underground. Actually, scratch that. I forgot that I'm on a direct line." I chatted.

"Underground? Why?" he asked.

"I'm on a train." I replied.

"Oh, cool. I always thought trains were sweet." _Yep, he is my brother_. "What else?"

"Hmm." I thought. "Well, I have had a series of these really bad headaches that have been really intense, but really brief, like 30 seconds and they are over. Have you ever heard of or experienced anything like that?" I asked.

"You're probably pregnant." he responded. This had been his response to every ailment I had ever disclosed to him since he found out what pregnancy was. 'I think I twisted my ankle,' 'You're probably pregnant;' 'My leg is cramping up,' 'You're probably pregnant;' 'Hold on, I can't seem to catch my breath,' 'You're probably pregnant.'

So I dismissed his suggestion. "I am not pregnant, Jude. You could at least save that for when I actually experience one of the symptoms of pregnancy."

"You should schedule an ultrasound just in case." I knew he was wearing a huge grin on the other end of the line, even if it was only inwardly to himself. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, "we should get matching necklaces."

_Yugi's POV_

The location on the map turned out to be the Domino City Train Station. We all looked around. "This is the right time and place, right?" asked Tristan looking around at the seemingly normal train station.

"Look there!" exclaimed Téa. She pointed to a big bronze door tucked away in a corner.

"That must be it! The door to the quarter finals!" I chirped. We hastily started to walk towards the door.

"It's pretty hidden. That's just like Kaiba, everything the duelists do has to be a challenge." Duke speculated.

We stopped at the door. There was no handle, just a card reader next to it.

"I'm gonna guess da bronze card opens dis door." Joey said and dug out his bronze card. He slid the card through the reader. The door opened. "Finals, here I come!" Joey yelled. He raced down the stairs that the door led to and we followed behind until we came to a platform.

Roland was standing there waiting. "Congratulations on making it to the quarter-finals. Present your silver or blue cards." Joey and I held out our silver cards while Tristan, Téa and Duke dug out their blue cards. "Keep these with you on the train. They will be the keys to your individual rooms." he explained.

"We get our own rooms this time!" Téa lit up, pulling her fists up to her chest in excitement.

"Go find your rooms and explore to the train for now. When the train starts moving, please report to the dining car. You may now board." The train was, of course, designed after the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"Heh, a Blue Eyes train. No surprise dere." Joey said as we boarded.

We all found our own rooms and took some time to settle in, but it wasn't soon before we found each other again. "My room's awesome you guys! How about you?" Téa asked.

"They all seem really nice. Kaiba spared no expense." I commented.

"Yeah, I sure don't mind when I get to enjoy rich boy's perks, too." Joey said.

"Did any of you see any of the other finalists yet?" I asked.

"No, I think we'll have to wait and see when it's time for us to go to the dining car." Téa reasoned.

"That should be anytime now!" Tristan exclaimed.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Greetings" - Let's meet the top eight duelists and the quarter final pairings


	16. Greetings

**So since it's my birthday, I have decided to upload two chapters today, as always, enjoy!**

* * *

_Yugi's POV_

It wasn't long after that when the train started moving. "This is it, gang!" I yelled.

"Alright! Let's mooove out," Joey said, arching his arm up in a huge corresponding gesture.

We followed him out into the hall and walked further back into the train. The dining car was more like a fine dining car, of course, and was, like the other areas, huge. A buffet had been laid out for us and the other guests. "Whoa, a buffet! Kaiba's gonna regret this!" exclaimed Tristan getting excited.

"I need some chow, I'm starvin!" yelled Joey as soon as he saw the array.

"You ate a full meal an hour ago, Joey," Téa reminded him.

He turned around and gave her a thumbs up. "Duel fuel, Téa. Duel fuel!"

"Impressive rhyming skills, Wheeler. Maybe next you'll learn how to actually speak English," came an all too familiar voice.

"Kaiba!" Joey growled, hunching over a little and curling his arms, his fists clenched.

Kaiba had been off to the side, keeping an eye on the room. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, Mokuba silently at his side. "So, Yugi. I see you won all four guest passes," he scoffed with an eye on Joey. He turned to me, "I made them especially for you and your little dweeb gang. I thought you could use a bonus round."

"Actually Kaiba, Joey made it here on his own. He even won a couple guest passes himself," I piped up.

"Dat's right! And now it's only a matter'a time before I win ya little tournament!" exclaimed Joey, taking a step towards him and flexing.

"Ha. We all know that's never going to happen. I thought I told you to stop registering yourself in my tournaments, Wheeler. It's a huge waste of everyone's time. Now if you geeks will excuse me, I have a tournament to run," retorted Kaiba before he pushed himself off the wall and walked off, his coat rippling behind him.

"Grrrr, you just wait, Kaiba! It won't be long before I beat ya! Then you'll be wastin ya time waitin around for me to finish kickin everyone else's butt!" Joey yelled after him, but Kaiba had already stopped paying him attention. "I can't stand dat guy. Now where was I? Oh yeah, tasty morsels come to Papa!" he yelled before running off with Tristan.

"He knows the word 'morsels'? Seems like it would have been a little above his vocabulary level," commented Duke.

"His vocabulary can be surprisingly decent when it has to do with food or dueling," Téa replied.

"Hey look guys, it's Bakura!" I said to Duke and Téa. I pointed and they turned. He was by himself, working on a small plate of food. "Hey Bakura!" I yelled. He heard me and turned towards us.

We trotted over to him and he greeted us. "Yugi, Duke, Téa. No surprise seeing you here."

"What are you doing here Bakura? Are you a finalist?" asked Téa.

"Why, yes. I have won all the materials necessary to make it here, except the gold card. Do you have one yet, Yugi?" he asked.

"No," I answered. "And neither does Joey. But we don't need them, right?"

"Well, you will eventually to make it to the finals. I think this phase is the last opportunity to win one," he explained.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," I surmised.

Joey and Tristan came back over with mounds of food. "Guys you gotta go check out the grub," remarked Joey. They noticed Bakura and greeted him, then went through the same exchange we just had.

"Yugi? Joey?" we heard from behind us.

Marik and Ishizu had entered the room. "Marik, Ishizu, what are you doing here?" I asked, a little worried. I suspected their presence meant something was wrong.

"I heard about the tournament and, well, I entered it. I wanted to redeem my name after what happened last time. And here I am, a finalist!" Marik explained.

"That's great!" I said enthusiastically. "Ishizu, are you a finalist too?"

"No, I am here by the graces of my brother, Marik, who has earned me this guest pass," she said holding up the final blue card.

"So you have the fourth guest pass! I was trying to find it to bring my grandpa, but I think this might be too much excitement for him. It's probably for the best. Besides, it's nice to see you again, Ishizu."

"And you, Yugi. And I look forward to seeing the Pharaoh as well," she responded.

"Haha, yeah..." I laughed uncomfortably.

"Yugi!" I only heard before I felt arms around me.

"Rebecca, good to see you," I managed to say through her tight grasp.

"Oh Yugi, I have missed you so much. I have so looked forward to this! I knew you would be here," she squealed loudly, still latching on.

After another moment I drew up some courage and said, "Rebecca, you can let go now." Luckily she did and was still cheery. I introduced her to Marik, Ishizu and Bakura.

"Oh, so nice to meet you! I always enjoy meeting friends of my Yugi!" she exclaimed. Téa wasn't looking too happy.

"Well look at this, the gang's all here." We turned to see Mai. I was grateful for her timing.

"Mai. I am glad to see you are doing well," said Marik.

"Oh, Marik, you're here too. Look, no hard feelings, ok hun?" she said and winked at him.

"I sure am glad to see so many familiar faces," I said looking around.

"Yeah, and then there's that guy," mentioned Tristan. I looked around to see who he was talking about. There was a man by himself. He was a bigger man with a dark, straight coat. He wore black gloves and had very dark long hair that just missed his eyes. He kept his head down. Taking a sip of his drink, I saw his eyes skim his surroundings. He looked totally out of place.

"He looks like a total creep," chirped Rebecca. "Good thing I have my Yugi to protect me!" and her arms were back around me. Téa closed her eyes and clenched her fists.

"All right, let's get this show on the road," announced Kaiba from across the room. "Roland."

"Boy, that Kaiba hasn't changed a bit," muttered Mai.

"Yeah, he's already started to tick me off," growled Joey.

"Welcome, everybody, to the quarter-finals aboard the Blue Eyes Express," Roland began. "We will now be choosing opponents and dueling order. You will be dueling for the four gold cards for the finals. Four of you carry these cards. The four of you that have not won a gold card will now have the opportunity to challenge a duelist who does. The four finalists who now carry gold cards are as follows: Mr. Kaiba, Marik Ishtar, Mauro Kern, and Rebecca Hawkins. Ryou Bakura, Yugi Muto, Mai Valentine, and Joey Wheeler will choose their opponent based on the card they draw. Those with the highest attack points will choose first. Now, I ask the four of you to draw your card and present it."

We each drew a card and held it up. "All of you have drawn a monster card on your first draw. The first duelist to pick will be Yugi Muto, with the Beast of Gilfer at 2200 points, then Mai Valentine with her Harpie's Pet Dragon at 2000 points, then Joey Wheeler with the Flame Swordsman at 1500. Ryou Bakura, your Headless Knight puts you last with an attack power of 1450 and you will be paired with the final duelist. Please pick your opponents now. Yugi-" Roland signaled.

I looked at my opponents and I knew exactly who I preferred to duel. "I would be honored to duel you again, Marik."

He nodded. "And I you, Yugi."

"Mai Valentine," Roland called out.

"Hmm let's see. I pick that creepy guy over there," she said, pointing to the unknown duelist.

"Are you sure, Mai?" Joey asked concerned.

"Of course, I'm only too use to dealing with creeps," she assured.

"Joey Wheeler, it is your turn to choose."

"Alright! I still get my first choice! You're mine, money bags! It's time I beat you at your own game!" Joey shouted a little too aggressively.

Kaiba crossed his arms. "How disappointing, I was hoping at least to have some sort of challenge. Though I suppose it's better this way, I can save my energy for our duel, Yugi," he said, turning his gaze towards me. It always made me uncomfortable when he said things like that.

"Da only one who's gonna be duelin Yugi is me! So get ready, Kaiba, because today is the day I take you down!" Joey yelled.

"Hmm," was all Kaiba bothered to say.

"All right," Roland started again, "the first duel will take place between Yugi Muto and Marik Ishtar. Please make your way back to the dueling platform in a half hour. After the first duel finishes, there will be a half hour break between duels."

_'All right Pharaoh, are you ready for this?'_ I asked.

_'Yes, Yugi_,' a deep voice answered back. '_We have lots of friends and support here. We are lucky, and I look forward to this tournament. Now you should eat and prepare yourself.'_

_'Right!'_ I thought and turned to heed his advice.

**So I keep wondering if my readers from my first fic have continued this far or not. I keep worrying that I have offended you all in some way. Remember, I do like to hear your thoughts!**

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**Next Chapter:** "The Quarter-Finals Begin" - Kaiba finally goes to his room. How will Kaiba act when he has someone else in his space? And what does he have planned for our duelists?


	17. The Quarter Finals Begin

_Seto's POV_

The kick off had gone well, though I was disappointed to be dueling Wheeler. Once the duels were assigned, I felt no need to stay there. I looked down to Mokuba at my side.

"Is she in the room?" I asked.

"She should be, that's where I left her," he answered.

"Hm. I will be present for the first duel. Keep and eye on things here and alert me should anything happen before then," I instructed.

"You got it!" he said and turned to focus all his attention on the current action. I walked silently past the others, now distracted by their upcoming duels.

I soon arrived at my door and slid my silver card through the reader. The door opened and I stepped in, but I did not see her right away. I had not seen her in days, and was inwardly a little nervous to now. This was my environment, and I had never allowed anyone to be here with me before, except for Mokuba. As I walked farther into the room, I spotted her. She lay on her back on my bed, her feet resting up on the wall. The fluid fabric of her dress washed up to her hips, putting her legs on full display. Her hair fell in delicate swirls on the sheets, and she was focused on another one of her books. When I saw her there, any uncertainty I had vanished. I certainly could not complain as I looked her over. I stopped to savor the vision, and leaned a shoulder against the wall. She had heard me come in, and tilted her head back to see who had entered.

When she saw me she smiled. She turned back and took her feet down, twisting her body onto her knees. As she did, she closed her book and one of her fingers grazed the edge of a page. "Ouch," I heard her say before she stuck the finger in her mouth. She sucked on it briefly and then took it out and pushed at the skin. Then I heard her say to herself, "That's weird, I could have sworn I tasted blood. Huh." Then she turned to me and slid off the bed, and, quietly with her bare feet, came over. Watching her distracted me from what she had just done. When she was near enough, I uncrossed my arms, allowing her body to come to mine. She obliged, and raised her hands to their usual place at the back of my neck.

"There you are," she said. I had left her alone here for a long time, but I had not brought her here for the tournament. She would likely be alone here most of the time, but she would be safe. "So how is it going? Are you having fun?" she asked.

I made sure to make this very clear. "There is nothing fun about this. This is a war I have been fighting for a long time. I intend for this tournament to be the last battle, one that I will win."

"All right," she adjusted, "how is your battle going, then?"

I could tell she was glad to see me by the way she gazed at me. "So far, everything is going as planned. If you're hungry, there is food down the hall. I will be going to watch the first duel in a few minutes," I informed.

She was still looking up at me. _'How is your battle going, then?'_ I listened to her say it over again in my mind. It was just as charming as the first time she said it, though I did not outwardly express my enjoyment of her comment.

She came up to me a little bit, raising her heels off the ground, and bowed her head a little, resting her forehead against my chin. And from there her scent was in my every breath, and it was intoxicating. I pulled her closer and brought one of my hands up along her back, then into her hair.

I started to run my hand back down along her spine. As I did, I felt the tight strap under her dress. I was very tempted to undo it. _How much time do I have?_ I looked to the clock as I considered it. _Not enough before Yugi's duel_. Yugi's duel. My lustful thoughts dissipated as I envisioned Yugi dueling. This was something I had been looking forward to. It was another opportunity to study him and try to find his weaknesses. "I have to go," I said. I slid my hands from her body and took a couple steps back before I turned on my heel and left for the arena.

Mokuba was waiting in the hall for me. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded, reminding me all too much of myself. When he saw me, he perked up. "I've been waiting for you. Are you ready for the first duel, Seto?"

"Yes, Mokuba. Let's go." I headed straight for the arena, towards the back of the train. Soon we arrived, the first there. I took my stance, Mokuba close by my side. It wasn't long before the geek squad came in overwhelming numbers.

"Whoa, check dis out guys." Joey was the first of the group to emerge.

"It's made entirely of glass," Mokuba started to inform. "Each duelist will go up the stairs to the platform," he gestured towards the dueling platform, completely transparent, raised a story above the cars, placed just above where the encasing for the spectator area stopped.

"Wait, so we have to stand on slick glass above da rest of the train? What if dere's a tunnel? What if I fall off?" Joey asked.

"That's what I'm counting on," I replied.

"If anytin happens to me, I'm suing you, Kaiba!" he yelled.

"You won't. You already signed a statement when you registered, however you managed to do that. It said that you would not hold Kaiba Corp. responsible for anything that happens to you during the course of this tournament. You would know that if you could read." I suppose I had exaggerated when I spoke to Jem. Insulting Wheeler was fun, even if it was too easy. However, it was not the reason I was here.

Duke had been looking up at the platform. "I guess I'm not surprised Kaiba made the arena so the duelists would have to be on guard at all times. You guys better be careful up there," he warned.

Wheeler was too wound up to hear him. "I'm not gonna hold Kaiba Corp. responsible, I'm going to hold _you_ personally responsible, rich boy!"

"Hmm. Good luck with that," I mused.

Roland came to the center of the car. The new duelist I was unfamiliar with quietly entered as Roland announced: "It is time for the first duel. Duelists please take your places."

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**Next Chapter:** "Advice" - Jem goes in search of Mokuba when things aren't quite right


	18. Advice

**luckyxtrick: EXACTLY! Exactly! That's _exactly_ how I see it! That made me so happy that I'm posting a third chapter today.**

**Reader: I'm so glad you found this! I was wondering if you had. And thank you!**

**Namara Jane Knight: No worries, I'm just thrilled to hear from you!**

**Violet464: Welcome aboard! Glad you're loving it!**

_Jem's POV_

Seto came back in the room and I assumed the first duel was over. I put my book down and got up to greet him. I approached him directly, standing in front of him and reached out and put my arms around him. As I did he placed a hand on each hip, tenderly as he always did, but instead of embracing me, he turned me to his side, let go and continued on. He had moved me out of his way.

He went and sat in one of the chairs and took his deck out and started to lay some cards out on the glass coffee table. "Is the first duel over?" I asked.

"Yes," was the only response.

I looked at what he was doing and tried again. "Do you duel next?" I asked.

"No," was my only response that time. It was clear he did not want to be bothered. I felt awkward. He was the one who had asked that I come with him, stay in _his_ room.

"I'm going to go see Mokuba, I haven't seen him since I boarded." Though he seemed to want to be alone, I thought it was better that I announce and give cause for my absence. "Is he in his room?" I at least tried to get a sense of where else I could be.

"Perhaps," was all he said, and then I gave up and I left.

When I stepped out into the hallway, I looked both ways, wondering which way I should try. I looked further down the hall. All of the doors had silver card readers. I decided since I was closer, I would go back the way I came. I figured Mokuba's room wouldn't be too far from his brother's.

I crossed the open car where I had first boarded and reached a similar hallway. The room that mirrored Seto's in this car had a black card reader. I remembered Mokuba had a black card. It was worth a try. I knocked, but then I heard Mokuba's voice from behind me. "Jemmie? What are you doing here? Are you looking for me?"

I turned around to see him in the hallway. "Yes, I was. Is this your room?" I asked.

"It is, but I mostly won't be in there. Just up the hall is where Roland and the other guys are stationed. I will most likely be there or with Seto, helping run this thing as we go. But I figured you would come looking for me at some point. We can go in my room and talk." This kid really had everything under control.

I did not need to say anything. He came over and swiped his card, which hung around his neck with the card locket that matched Seto's and a rather intricate whistle.

His room was smaller and more intimate. He had a twin bed, one comfy chair, a desk chair, and a desk with a laptop on it. The laptop was open and glowing, ready to be helpful. His last feature was his own modest bathroom.

I folded my arms and raised my shoulders a little as I followed him in, examining the room. "What do you mean you figured I would come looking for you at some point?" I inquired.

"It's my brother, isn't it?" he stated, sitting on his bed.

"Well, yeah-" I admitted.

"He's being distant? Self-absorbed? At least more so than usual," he continued.

"So this is all normal?" I confirmed.

"It sure is. In fact, I was a little surprised when I found out he invited you, especially to stay in his room. He easily gets really irritable during times like this, and likes to have his time and space to himself. Even I don't disturb him. He's a champion duelist, and he takes these tournaments and duels very seriously," Mokuba explained.

"Yeah, he made that very clear," I muttered. I wondered how much Mokuba knew. "So then why did he ask me to come if I would be so distracting and out of place?" I sat down on the edge of his chair.

"For some reason, whenever there's a tournament, things get really weird and dangerous. I think he would worry about you if you weren't here, and that would distract him more. I don't know if you've noticed, but my brother is kind of a control freak." Mokuba's sarcasm was mild, he seemed to more be trying to make his comment sound gentler. He loved his brother. "And-" Mokuba started to say.

"What is it?" I encouraged.

"Well you don't like dueling, right?" he asked for clarification.

"No, I don't care for it at all. Why?"

"Honestly," said Mokuba, "I think he would like it if you were impressed by his dueling, but," he added rather hurriedly, "he understands the whole thing with your dad. Our step-dad made military supplies before Seto took over the company. That's why Seto doesn't like military stuff."

"_That's_ why he doesn't like military stuff?" I repeated.

"Well, I suppose that's not the only reason, but it certainly adds to it. Anyway, Seto understands resenting your dad and all that. In fact, he hates your dad too. They have their own feud, but still, all this is a big deal to him. He's really good at, well, everything, but dueling seems to be the only thing he really care to show off. He was the champion for a long time, and he hasn't been able to get over his defeat to Yugi since the day it happened. At first he was a little lost, but now he's just angry and resentful." He went on. "But I like that you don't like Duel Monsters." I smiled. "There have been girls in the past who go after him because of his ranking. And then there's his company, his social status, his wealth-"

"-and he's gorgeous, yeah I know. What about it?" I asked.

"Well, he doesn't need any of that to impress you. Those things aren't the reasons you like him. He could lose all that without losing you too. I mean, he'll fight for all of it for himself, but that's not why you're here. If he loses, he won't lose you, but if you're not here and something happened, then that's how he'd lose you," he tried to explain.

"Yeah, or if he becomes a colossal jerk to me, too..." I muttered. Honestly though, I was more worried _I_ would lose _him_.

"That won't happen," Mokuba said firmly. I was not confident if he was responding to what I had said, or if he knew what I had thought, or both. "He can't tolerate loss."

Finally I asked, "How do you know all this, Mokuba?"

"Like I said, I know my brother. But I don't know how much of this he even realizes himself, or how much he just refuses to acknowledge," he commented. We sat there in silence for a moment, mulling over all we had just discussed. I really liked Mokuba, but it was getting harder to see him as just a sweet kid. Seto was right; he was pretty mature. He was also smart and a really good person. I kind of wanted to stay here with him, knowing the current mindset Seto was in.

Mokuba, again, seemed to know what I was thinking. "I am going to go back to the tournament, but you can stay here if you want."

"Thanks, Moka." I smiled weakly. Then added, "You know, I think you think about the relationship between your brother and I more than we do."

"Yeah, well, my brother is the most important thing in the world to me. I'm always thinking about his well-being, since he's always thinking about other things. Anyway," he said, raising his legs and jumping off the bed, "I'll see ya!" he said cheerfully as he ran out the door.

**So what do you guys think - on par with the first fic so far? Better even?**

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**Next Chapter:** "Intermission" - Jem sees Kaiba again before his duel, and Mauro has and update


	19. Intermission

_Mauro's POV_

"Master Pegasus, I have made it on the train. I have just won my duel assuring my spot in the semi-finals. The only other to win so far is Yugi Muto."

"And what of Seto Kaiba?" Pegasus insisted.

"He duels next against Joey Wheeler," I informed.

"He'll win that for sure and will also become a finalist. Good work Mauro. I trust I will hear from you again soon."

"Yes sir."

_Jem's POV_

I sat in Mokuba's room for a while and thought. I must have stayed there through the second duel, because when I returned, Seto was back in his room. I slipped off my shoes as the door slid closed behind me. Seto stood with his back to me, motionless, as he stared out the window with his arms crossed. "Hm," I heard him laugh to himself. He was deep in thought, but I did not feel the same awkwardness as before. I had thought about what Mokuba and I had talked about, I thought about a lot of things. I was now able to appreciate this mindset of his.

I did not try to interact with him, the same way I did sometimes while he was working. I felt calm now, felt closer to him. I just wanted to be close to him. I tried to be quiet and leave him to his thoughts as I walked up behind him. I started to wrap my arms around his slender waist to rest against him, but in one swift motion he had pinned me against the wall. He had not heard me come in, I had surprised him. He had me pinned much like how he had pinned me against the tree on my father's island—his forearm across my chest, his weight against mine. He looked at me with his eyes narrowed, but then relaxed when he saw it was only me.

"On edge?" I chided, raising my eyebrows.

"Sorry, habit," he muttered as he let me go. He turned back to look out the window, but as he did he took my hands and pulled me back around behind him, wrapping my arms as they had been. I smiled as I rested my body along his, my head resting between his shoulder blades, my eyes closed. "No, I was just thinking about how I will defeat Yugi," he divulged.

"Oh," I said softly. But I wanted to seem interested and asked, "When do you duel?"

"My duel is next," he answered. He did not sound as excited about it as I would have expected.

"Oh, do you need time to prepare?" I asked pulling back a little, not wanting to intrude.

"No. I don't need to prepare for my next duel. It will be effortless. Yugi is my primary target. It's time that I reclaimed my title as the undefeated Duel Monsters Champion." _Or maybe, you could just stay right here_, I thought to myself, knowing it would never happen. Just then, my head pulsed with pain. I did my best not to cry out—I did not want him to notice. But my other reflexes would not let me hide the pain. My hold on him tightened and I took a sharp breath in, my eyes sealed shut and my head pressed harder against him.

"What is it?" he said, turning around as I released my grasp. I put a palm to my forehead and tried to push back and relieve some pain. I clenched my teeth, still trying to not cry out. Then my chest suddenly started to seize. My other hand went to my chest and all the muscles in my neck and back tensed and ached. The attacks were getting worse. And then, like the others, it was gone.

I froze and opened one eye to look at him. His focus was on me now. _Goddammit._

"You're still having them." He was concerned again, but Seto did not show concern through a soft voice and tender touch. Instead, I got a stern glare and disappointed tone.

I still did not want him to be concerned, and I hated that I had distracted him. "Well, yeah-" I started thinking of how I could get out of this.

"And they're getting worse," he accused, his eyes narrowing.

I stopped trying to hide it. "Yeah, I've had a few. But they don't affect me otherwise. It's more like a cramp. Some people get charlie horses, I get these. I feel absolutely fine now. And that's how it always is. I am not worried about it so you certainly shouldn't be," I snapped.

I had a feeling he had been about to tell me it was time I saw a doctor or given me some other instruction. My little outburst had taken away his ability to do that. And the look on his face told me that he was not happy to have lost that privilege. Mokuba's words echoed in my thoughts_,__ 'I don't know if you've noticed, but my brother is kind of a control freak.'_

Just then, Mokuba himself popped in. "Seto, it's time for your duel!" _Well, even if Seto is not excited, Mokuba certainly is,_ I thought.

I was going to wish him luck, but I knew he would scoff at it, so instead I said, "Time to do your thing." He still had his eyes glued to me. "I'm fine," I whispered to assure him, but so as not worry Mokuba. He was still unconvinced, but still turned away bitterly.

Without another word, he was gone.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Blue Eyes and Spitfire" - Kaiba's duel against Joey


	20. Blue Eyes and Spitfire

**So this duel is probably in no way accurate (and I'll apologize to you now, Namara), but just ignore the logistics of it. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy, this was one of the more fun ones to write.**

* * *

"I play Baby Dragon! And dat's not all. Go, Time Wizard! Let's dust his Blade Knight!" Kaiba and Joey had already started their duel.

"Come on Joey, you can do this," Tristan said nervously as he watched the hand spin.

"A skull! No!" cried Joey as his monsters disappeared and his life points dropped.

"It's ok Joey, it's still early in the duel!" Yugi yelled.

"Hm. And I thought you would get that one too, since chance is the only way you ever survive a duel. I guess your luck finally ran out, Wheeler," Kaiba sneered. "Now, Blade Knight, attack his life points directly!"

Joey held his hands up to the hologram defensively and took the hit.

"Ooh, that's gotta hurt." said Tristan.

"Way to go, big brother!" cheered Mokuba.

"Try again, Wheeler. And give me something challenging this time. I knew this wouldn't take long, but this is just ridiculous, even for you," Kaiba scoffed.

"It's ok Joey! You got this!" yelled Téa. "We're all here!"

"Ok," Joey drew a card. "Oh yeah! Now I play Axe Raider. Attack his Blade Knight!"

The monster vanished and Kaiba's life points dropped. "Ouch, Wheeler. Losing those hundred life points really hurt." All Kaiba did was smirk. "Pitiful."

Kaiba had been working Joey up since they had arrived. Joey couldn't stand him. The guy was a class-A, selfish jerk who always got away with anything he did, and had everything. Everything except friends, that is. What Joey considered to be the most valuable thing of all. It made Joey that much angrier as Kaiba smugly stood before him.

"Shut it, rich boy. At least I have a whole bunch of people out here rootin' for me who care about me. And what do you got? Nothin, nobody. You're all alone Kaiba, and dat's what's truly pitiful. You gotta personality that only a motha could love, or I suppose a brotha in your case," Joey countered.

But Kaiba was quiet. He did not hurl an insult back, nor did he get defensive. Instead, he looked at Joey and grinned_. Dah! I hate it when he grins, _thought Joey. Kaiba had been accused of this many times by the geek squad. It was the one thing they could use against him, that he had no way to prove wrong, meaning it was a battle they could always win. An insignificant battle, Kaiba considered, but still, he didn't like losing. But that was about to change. Instead he said, "Mokuba, go get her. I want her to see this."

"You got it, bro!" Mokuba yelled before taking off back into the train.

"Kaiba, don't think whatevah you sent Mokuba ta get is goin to convince me that your loneliness is betta den my friends. I don't care about whatevah fancy new gadget you have that you think will make up for all the bitterness in ya heart. Now it's your move!"

"Mmm," Kaiba mused as he drew his card. "I'll sacrifice Sagi to bring out my Vampire Lord, and place one card face down. Now, Vampire Lord, destroy his Axe Raider!" By the end of his turn, Mokuba was already leading Jem into the arena by the hand.

Joey squinted as his monster was destroyed. When it disappeared he was surprised to see Jem standing there, looking up at the duel.

"Jem? Whaddaya doin here?" Joey asked, confused. He had a thought, and looked to the clear glass platform. While Mai was dueling before, he had thought about walking under it, casually, but knew he would not be able to be discrete enough to get away with looking up without her noticing. But Jem, he thought, he might have a chance with since she was so keen on ignoring him. He grinned. "You gonna duel?"

"Oh goddammit, Joey, it's you." _Fuck, I totally forgot he was going to be here_, Jem thought to herself and then continued. "No, Joey, I am not dueling. We have already talked about this. And haven't the duels already been decided?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Den what?" Joey was becoming even more confused. _What would she be doin here? All da people who are here are here to duel or are here supportin me, or both. I told her I was gonna be here- wow, is dat it?_ "You remembered I was comin?" Joey started. "Did you come to see me duel? And I was startin to think ya didn't like me!" But Jem was puzzled herself. She was looking around at the situation and ignored his comment.

Meanwhile, the gang was talking amongst themselves. "How long do you think it's going to take for him to figure this one out?" Téa asked out of the corner of her mouth.

"I don't know Téa. But I have to say, I'm just as surprised as he is," Duke remarked. "Sure, they would sit at the same table at lunch, but I don't know as I've ever seen them so much as look at one another. I always thought that they just ignored each other along with everyone else. And besides, it's my understanding that she can't stand Duel Monsters."

"She can't stand Duel Monsters? That is weird," said Téa.

"How do you know all this anyway, Duke?" asked Yugi.

"Pegasus introduced us last year at his holiday party. She quickly ditched me and showed no sign of wanting to interact, even at her own house. In fact, she seemed even more distressed there than in school. Anyway, I talked to Pegasus again a little later, and he mentioned that she couldn't stand his game," Duke explained. Then added, "And, ah, careful observation," in reference to his original remark about school.

Simultaneously, Jem was trying to work out the situation in her head. _Now I know why Seto is up there, but why is... No-_ "Wait, are you dueling?" she realized. "Isn't this the finals? _Joey_ is a finalist? Isn't this game supposed to be, I don't know, challenging?"

"It is. He made it here on sheer dumb luck," interjected Kaiba, keeping his eyes on Joey. "And I emphasize 'dumb'."

"Shut it, rich boy!" Joey yelled before turning to Jem. "Don't be so hard on me, Jem. You haven't seen me in action yet. You just wait, after I wipe da floor wit dis rich snob, you'll be cheerin for me!"

"Hm. In your dreams Wheeler," Kaiba contended. He had been calmly standing with his arms crossed the whole time.

"You need to let that one go, Joey!" Tristan yelled.

"Well, don't let all Kaiba's flashy gadgets distract you from his high-and-mighty personality," Joey continued up on the platform. "In fact, I think we're waitin for somethin right now. Wait, Mokuba? You're back? Where is it?"

"She is it, you moron," Kaiba said. "That should have been obvious, even to you."

"Wait, _she's_ da one you just asked Mokuba to get?" Joey replied. He looked back and forth between them for a moment. Then he laughed. "What, you hired da only person who can actually stand to be around you to make it look like someone actually cares about you?" Kaiba closed his eyes. "You're even more miserable than I thought, Kaiba. How much is he paying ya to be here?" he asked, turning to Jem.

But before she could respond, Mokuba protested, "Nothing! She doesn't need my brother's money! Just a little while ago she stopped in the children's hospital when we were out for a walk, and just wrote them a check for three million dollars like it was nothing!" Kaiba, who had not expected or heard of any of this until now, had finally turned his head to look at her.

Jem covered Mokuba's mouth to stop him from saying anything else. "Shh, Mokuba! I didn't want anyone to know about that! I do not need people talking to me and thinking they can rope me into their cause to get money," she hissed. She looked up to the people now looking at her intrusively.

"That was you?" Téa blurted. "I heard about that. It already made a hug difference at the hospital by just lifting the kids' spirits, and they haven't even signed a contract yet to start building the new ward they need!"

Jem came up with something fast. "A bet. It was a bet. I lost a bet," she lied as she let go of Mokuba.

"No you didn't," Mokuba corrected, looking at her, not getting what she was doing.

"Mokuba!" she said sharply. She glanced back at the people who were still looking at her inquisitively. She looked to Kaiba for some help. "Isn't something supposed to be happening?"

"Yes," he replied and turned to Joey. "It's Wheeler's turn. He's just using this to stall because he knows he's going to lose." And just like that, they were back where they had left off.

"Oh yeah, money bags?" Joey had turned his animosity back to Kaiba and drew a card. "I place two cards face down and end my turn." Jem noticed that even though they said 'face-down,' those cards instead faced the player. _It must be due to the glass? Yeah, I have no idea how this works._

"That's all you have? I thought I told you to step it up." Kaiba responded. "I play Giant Germ in attack mode. Finally, I place one card face down."

"Oh yeah? Well I play Rocket Warrior in attack mode." Joey said, laying his card down.

Jem was ignoring Joey and looking at Seto's Giant Germ monster. She squinted and tilted her head. "What is that supposed to be? A virus or a bacterium?" she thought aloud. "Whatever it is, it's not accurate." Kaiba turned to see her looking up at his monster. "Figures, my father knows jack about microbiology," she concluded, giving up on trying to decipher it.

"Yes, he made that quite obvious in his design," Kaiba quipped as he waited for Joey, turning back to his monster. "Despite it being a part of my deck, I have always noticed how distorted it is."

"Wait, are you two talkin about _science _right now?" Joey said, flabbergasted.

"Yes Joey. We're both in the advanced class. Unlike you, we don't spend our time making paper mache volcanoes." Kaiba grinned. Jem let out a slight giggle when she heard this, which only caused Kaiba's grin to widen. No one ever appreciated his insults.

"Well, at least it doesn't resemble a toy designed for children under six," she added, turning to Joey's monsters.

"Whatdaya mean by dat?" Joey yelled.

"She means your monsters are as infantile as you are," Kaiba clarified.

"Grrr, I'll show you infantile! I sacrificed my Rocket Warrior to bring out dis, my Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

For the second time, Jem saw a dragon before her, but that was not what she was focused on. "Did- did he just growl?" she asked, not knowing the history between the two players.

"I'M NOT A DOG!" Joey yelled. She was taken aback, her eyes widening not expecting such a violent response.

"Hey!" yelled Téa across the arena. "Leave Joey alone! He's a good person. He's our friend and we believe in him!"

"Man's best friend, maybe," Kaiba scoffed.

"Kaiba, I've had enough of your dog comments! Téa and all my otha friends are here and dey believe in me. With them behind me, I can do anytin!"

"Now it's like TV programming for ages six and under," Jem uttered.

"They always do this," Kaiba replied without turning to face her.

Joey became angrier and put it into the duel. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack his Giant Germ!"

"Ha," Kaiba laughed as his monster was destroyed. "Reveal trap card!" One of his 'face down' cards spun around.

"Oh no, not dat one!" cried Joey.

"You use that all the time, Kaiba, try something new for once!" Tristan yelled.

"And yet he still fell for it. And I made it so obvious for you, too, Wheeler. But now every one of your monsters with an attack strength of over 1500 points is useless," Kaiba mocked. _Hm, well I guess that is pretty clever,_ Jem thought.

"So what do you think, Jemmie?" Mokuba asked as they continued to watch the duel.

"Mmm. I find it to be much like sports. I have no idea what is going on, but I am however truly enjoying watching your brother humiliate Joey," she answered. Seto had a talent for leaving Joey speechless and pining for a comeback that he ultimately could barely deliver. It was beautiful. "I am enjoying this much more than I thought I would, though probably for the wrong reasons."

"I always like it when Seto duels," mentioned Mokuba. "It's the only time he laughs."

She cast her eyes down from the duel and to him. He was now sullen as he watched his brother. She looked back to Seto and studied him. He was quite lively when he dueled.

"And now," Kaiba cried, playing a new card, "time for my ultimate beast. Blue Eyes White Dragon, finish this!"

"Mmm," Jem spoke to no one in particular, yet Mokuba was the only one who could hear her. "I like the way he says that, '_Blue Eyes White Dragon,_'" she repeated.

"That's because you're in love with him," Mokuba reminded her. It was only loud enough for her to hear, but to her it sounded a lot louder.

"Shh!" She quickly grabbed Mokuba again and covered his mouth. "We agreed not to talk about that, remember?" she whispered fiercely.

"But he loves you too!" Mokuba said, but with her hand over his mouth, it was muffled and indecipherable. Her response confirmed that she had thought he said something else. "No Mokuba! You agreed to it!" He gave up and she let go.

She looked back up to Kaiba basking in his victory. The monsters disappeared and Joey fell to his knees, his face downcast. The rest of the spectators ran up to surround him, all except one man. Jem noticed he was staring at her, making her extremely uncomfortable. She crossed her arms over herself.

"Come on, let's go," Kaiba said. She turned towards his voice. He had already descended the stairs. Kaiba turned to walk back to his room and she followed. With a few quick strides she was walking alongside him, relieved to be walking away from the strange man and his eerie glare. Mokuba walked happily between the two, glad things were going so well.

**So if you have read this far and liked it, please don't hesitate to let me know!**

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Informed" - Pegasus finds out where his daughter is, and he's not quite sure how to take it


	21. Informed

**Thank you for the reviews, alerts, and favorites! I'm really happy so many people are enjoying this! You guys really have me feeling like I'm accomplishing my goal and doing a damn good job of it.**

**And a special shoutout to Cat ValentinesCupcake, I'm tickled to see that you are love, love, _loving_ this!**

_Pegasus' POV_

The phone rang and I answered it. It was Mauro, the man I had hired to keep an eye on Seto Kaiba's whereabouts during his tournament. So far, he seemed to be well on his way out from the city. If she was in Domino, now was my opportune time to find her. "Mauro, I assume you have an update for me?" I answered.

"Sir," came his gruff voice across the line, "she's here."

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

"She's here sir, on the train. Your daughter." he answered.

"She's _what?_"

"She seems to be here visiting Seto Kaiba. She appeared during Kaiba's duel when he sent for her to come watch." Mauro explained.

"He did?" I was truly surprised to hear such news. My Jemma hated Duel Monsters. True, I knew they had met at Duelist Kingdom and developed a partnership, but _Kaiba_ and my _Jemma?_ They both couldn't stand other people. When Kaiba stood in my way earlier, I thought it was only because of his grudge towards me and a debt he owed my daughter for helping him rescue his baby brother. _Then why would she be with Kaiba now? Had he tracked her down and told her I was looking for her? Did he hate me so much that he was making it a point to keep her from me? Or could it be-_ _that night they went to the beach, could he have seduced my daughter way back then?_ "Tell me Mauro, how did they seem?"

"So far strictly plutonic, sir," he answered to my relief.

"So, she came to watch a duel? And she seemed to be enjoying herself?" I inquired.

"Yes, sir. They both seemed to enjoy mocking the duelist Kaiba defeated," he noted.

"Joey Wheeler?" I recalled.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh of course. Well, good work Mauro. I expect frequent updates from now on." I instructed and hung up the phone. This new information offset my plans, but perhaps I could make it work in my favor.

_So she seemed to be enjoying a duel? I certainly hope so. So far Jemma has hated Duel Monsters, but that is only because of her resentment towards me. If she is there enjoying herself, then this could mean she is starting to like the game itself, or it could even mean her resentment towards me is lessening. This could encourage her to come back to me and help run my company. I need her, she is my only heir with the skills necessary to inherit Industrial Illusions. Effie would be prompt to marry and give away my company to any man who charmed her, and Jude is too busy screwing around and ridding himself of responsibilities. She is the obvious choice, all I have to do is get her invested in it. And if she develops a relationship with Kaiba, I may be able to use that to finally take over Kaiba Corp. and put that little brat in his place for good. But if she is there in spite of the game, because she has interest in him, that could pose a serious problem. Kaiba hates me, and that could only turn her further against me, and he would be happy to do so. By the end of this tournament, I will need her back on my side. I will not lose my daughter, and I will certainly not lose her to that self-entitled prick, Seto Kaiba_.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Assault" - Need I say more?


	22. Assault

**Summary warnings apply.**

_Jem's POV_

Mokuba had gone to make sure things were in place for the last duel, leaving Seto and I alone in his room. We were not there long when Roland entered with news. "Mr. Kaiba, I must speak with you."

Seto had been staring out the window. "What is it, Roland?" he asked sternly as he turned his ear to him.

"It seems one of the contestants has been making calls periodically, and we have now been able to trace those calls to Maximillion Pegasus," he announced.

"Wait, _what?_" I commanded and spun around to face Roland.

But it was Seto who answered. "Your father has been trying to find you. He came to my office asking if I knew your whereabouts."

"**What?**" I shouted. I was stunned. _How could he not have told me?_

"Ah, I'll come back later," Roland said uncomfortably before he backed out.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded.

"You never worry about anything, and you wouldn't have come with me had you known. I would not have been able to concentrate. It would have interfered," he said coldly and shamelessly.

"Oh no, this is not happening." I stood up and stormed out. I was not going to stand for this.

"Where are you going?" He raised his voice and started to come after me.

When I reached the hallway, I turned back to face him. "You are just as bad as he is. You can't control me!" I shouted. He stopped in front of me and I looked up at him. I was livid. Before I could stop myself, I had slapped him across the face. I froze, never intending to have hit him, and waited to see how he would react.

His face hung to one side, his hair covering his eyes. He was completely still and said nothing. With one hand, he reached up and touched the spot where I had hit him. He stood upright to face me, still holding his cheek. He glared at me with a look in his eye that I had never seen before. That was when I realized: Seto only knew how to meet aggression with aggression, but I could tell for me it would be a new kind. I forgot what I had been upset about before, I only had one thought, _He is going to tear me apart..._

I felt all the tension I had just carried from my anger disappear as my muscles weakened in anticipation. My lips parted as my breathing deepened. When he saw this he grabbed me by the arm and spun me back around behind him, tossing me back into his room. When I found my balance and turned around, the door was already closing behind him and he was upon me. He grabbed me again and used his weight to harshly pin me against the wall. But this time it was different. This time it was meant for me. He took my arms and pinned them to the wall above me. I closed my eyes. I felt his rough kiss, first on my neck, then over and over down to my chest. He then kissed me fiercely on the lips and pressed his whole body against mine. I pressed back, only causing him to use his weight more forcefully to pin me back. He put my wrists together and held them with one hand. He then placed his free hand on my thigh and started to run it up towards the hem of my dress. I started to lift my leg in response, brushing it up along his.

And then he was pulled from me, and when I saw the cause all I could think was, _Are. You. Serious._

_Joey's POV_

I was tryin to remain in good spirits afta my loss. I had yet ta win a tournament, but usually I at least made it farther dan dis. My friends were with me tough, and I was always grateful for dat. I had collected myself and was headin back to my room. Téa, Tristan, Duke and Yugi followed me. When I got to my door, I turned to face dem.

"Tank you, guys. I woulda never gotten dis far witoutcha, and wit you behind me, I know I'll get him next time." They surrounded me and smiled warmly. Then, down the hall, we heard shouting and turned to look.

Jem charged out of Kaiba's room. I heard her scream "You can't control me!" Then she spun around and smacked him across the face.

It lifted my spirits. "Dat may have been da greatest thing I have evah seen," I said.

"Ditto," said Tristan.

But then Kaiba stood up, holding his cheek. I could see that she had pissed him off. And then all of a sudden he grabbed her and flung her back in his room. "Hey, whaddya think you're doin!" I yelled. But he didn't seemed to hear me as the door closed behind him.

I heard Téa gasp, and all at once we were runnin down da hall. "I always knew dat guy was a creep!" I yelled.

"Yeah, we all did, but I didn't expect _that_ from him!" Duke shouted back.

When we reached the door, I thought fast. "Let's see if these silver cards work on all da finalists' doors," I said and pulled out my card. I slid it trough and da door opened. I saw him. He had her pinned against the wall, helpless. And den I saw red.

"Get offa her!" I yelled as I lunged towards him. I ripped him off of her, getting him a safe distance away as I punched him across da face.

"Ah, Joey-" I heard from behind me. My friends hovered outside da door.

I turned back ta dem and nicked a finger over my nose, "What?" I said proudly. "You know how long I've been waitin to do dat?"

_Seto's POV_

Within a second her body was gone and again I felt a pain across my face. As she was torn away from me I heard her disappointingly whisper, "Oh, god dammit."

Then I heard, "What? You know how long I've been waitin to do that?" I opened my eyes to see Wheeler. I was enraged. Within a second I held him against the wall, my hands around his throat. "What are you doing, Wheeler?" I bellowed.

"I don't care how powerful or entitled ya think ya are, I'm not gonna let you treat her, or anyone else like dat!" he retorted.

"Wheeler, you have stuck your nose where it doesn't belong one too many times, and this time I am going to tear that hideous nose of yours right off your thick skull!" I roared, pulling one fist back.

But then I heard Duke ask Jem, "Wait, don't you have a boyfriend?" I froze and dropped Wheeler. Even the suggestion made me sick.

I turned to her and so did the others. She still leaned against the wall, her hands between her body and the wall, her head tilted back, her eyes closed. She was obviously frustrated. "What?" she said, the irritation reflected in her voice. It was clear she was more focused on her loss than the question. Then she looked at him, seeming to remember something. "Are you talking about Sam?" she asked, still annoyed and exasperated. "He was never my boyfriend, that was just a ploy to get you the fuck away from me. My goddamn father stepped in before I could reject you in a more conventional way. Actually," her tone changed, attaining a certain fondness and she straightened up, turning to me, "I was ditching you so I could go find Seto." My stomach eased.

Wheeler was still clueless. "Wha? Whadda you guys talkin about?" I crossed my arms and turned away from him, trying to contain myself.

"Joey- he wasn't, ah- hurting her..." Yugi tried to help.

"Heh?" Wheeler then looked back and forth between Jem and I. Finally, he seemed to get it. "Dere's no way. Dere's no way she's into you. _Kaiba?"_

Almost always, Jem was calm, quiet, and tranquil. But when she was irritated, those words no longer even came close to describing her. "Joey, just because-" Jem started to say.

Just then, Mokuba burst in the room, hearing the commotion. "What's going on in here? Haven't you guys learned by now not to bother my brother?"

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks," I snarled.

Jem tried again, "Joey, just because," she stopped again, remembering Mokuba and covered his ears. "Just because the most you'll ever get is a pity fuck doesn't mean _everyone_ is that pathetic." She may have been as upset about this interruption as she had when she found out I was keeping information from her. She glared at Wheeler with a disdain I recognized. I did love her, she was the only other person who saw the world in perspective.

She let go of Mokuba. "Huh? What's going on here? Why did you cover my ears, Jemmie?"

"Don't worry about it, Mokuba," she said, still glaring at Joey.

"Mokuba, get them out of here before I beat Wheeler beyond recognition," I snarled.

My kid brother looked around. "Ah, right." But Wheeler was already storming out anyway. The other dweebs had stayed outside the door. Mokuba followed and the door closed behind him.

Jem and I watched them disappear and then looked at each other. We said nothing. The intrusion had left Jem irritated and I no longer felt any aggression towards her specifically.

"I can take care of myself," she said, regressing to our fight.

"Not if they come after you. Remember Duelist Kingdom?" I alluded. And then in a flash _she _ had _me_ pinned against the wall. She was perfectly poised to inflict some real damage were I to move.

"Avery has been teaching me self-defense. He's a black-belt," she disclosed.

But I was simply amused. I found her actions more enticing than threatening. I grinned and narrowed my eyes. Now that I knew she could ably defend herself, it would make it even better when she surrendered that control to me, and me alone.

She saw what she had done, and in that moment of realization her stance was hindered. With one look I had sabotaged her defenses. I took the opportunity to overthrow her, picking her up and tossing her onto the bed. And before I went to her, I made sure the door was locked.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "The Plan and the Promise" - Kaiba comes up with a plan to deal with Pegasus, and Jem has mixed feelings, but Mokuba has a definite opinion about it.


	23. The Plan and the Promise

_Seto's POV_

When I got up to dress she stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, one arm over her forehead.

"What is it?" I asked. "Did I hurt you?" It didn't seem like that was it, but after what we had just done, I couldn't see how she could be thinking about anything else.

She smiled devilishly. "No, it was incredible." Then the smile left her face. "I'm thinking about what I'm going to do about my father and his pawn."

"You don't need to do anything. He sent that man to watch me. He's afraid of me and he knows better than to try anything, otherwise that man would have made a move by now," I told her. "I'm going to boost security, but I think it's best if you stay near me."

"Seto- That's all fine and nice, but I need to be able to handle this. Besides, what am I going to do, hover around you the rest of my life? Once this is over, he's not going to leave me alone." I tried to think of how to respond. She went on. "Most importantly, you need to watch Mokuba. If he thinks you took something from him, he will not hesitate to take something from you."

I realized she was right. Immediately, I radioed Roland, "I want someone guarding Mokuba at all times until this Pegasus mess is dealt with. Don't let him out of your sight."

"Yes, sir," he responded.

Jem was still looking off, refusing to me my gaze. "I don't know how to make him go away," she whispered despondently. I had never seen her like this.

I turned to her. "For now, I'll deal with this Mauro guy."

"It might be best if you do not show you know anything," she advised.

"Fine," I said. "It's likely that he will try and settle this with a duel anyway. I'll be sure to crush him next."

I heard her sigh. I looked back to her. I had never seen her so hopeless. It made me uncomfortable. I wasn't sure what to do, but I wanted her to stop. I sat back down next to her. Gently, I placed a hand on her stomach and admiringly started to caress her body. "You know, you're going to have to get dressed if you are going to deal with this. But that's just another reason why you should leave this to me, then you can stay right here." It was more of a statement than an attempt at comforting her, but it seemed to work.

She sighed, shook her head, and smiled all at once. Finally she looked at me. She sat up, her body curled against mine, entrapping herself under my arm. I felt her legs curl up behind me as her arms fell to the side of my chest. She held my face and kissed me gently. I assumed that meant we were on the same page.

Then she leaned her head against mine, closed her eyes, and smirked as though she was remembering something. "I apologize for hitting you earlier, I never intended to, but-" she opened her eyes, looking directly into mine. The devilish grin was back, "now that I know how you will react, it only makes me want to do it again."

As she spoke I replayed the incident in my mind, flashing through the hit, the fury, the passion. It started to resurge the feelings. I looked at her. I could easily take her again now, she was even more helpless than before, but I knew I had things to address. During my internal debate, the opportunity was lost as she slipped away from me and found her dress.

As she slid on her few articles, I persisted, "So you will be near me from now on then."

She huffed and rolled her eyes as she finished adjusting her dress. "I will do my best," she said, "but I am not making any promises. I do not care for the idea of being dueled over-"

"It's not like that," I interjected. "I will win against your father's pawn, but that is my own battle and my personal feud with Pegasus. He sent someone who duels, he sent someone after me. And no matter what happens, you won't be going anywhere."

"-or playing my father's games," she overrode as if I had said nothing, clearly still annoyed. "But I know that is how he settles things, and we do not have much choice for now. Besides, I suppose I have caused you to worry enough," she conceded, but then added all to sarcastically, "and we wouldn't want that to get in the way of anything, now would we?" But I let it go, she had already agreed and I had finally won that battle. She looked to the ground, crossing her arms, and sighed one last time in her defeat before she let it go.

Then her eyes found me again. She came down to me, sliding sideways into my lap, her arms encircling my neck. My hands found a place on her hip without me having to think about it. "So now what?" she asked. "There is a final duel here?"

"I could care less about this final duel. The outcome is irrelevant and I have more important things to deal with. No, now we're going to the control room to implement a plan to get this taken care of." I put my arms around her waist and held her as I stood up, letting her go only when I was assured both of her feet were on the floor. I went over to the door and pushed a panel near it. It slid back and revealed a screen and small keyboard.

She came closer to me. "What are you doing?" she inquired.

"I'm seeing how that imbecile was able to get in here. If he could then anyone could." I found what I was looking for, there was a glitch and the door was still accepting all silver cards. I made an adjustment and then looked to check the security of other important doors, including Mokuba's. All seemed well. "That's taken care of." I turned to her. "Do you have your card?"

"Um," she said, checking first in her dress pockets and then along her body. She turned back to look at where her clothes had been and saw it stray on the floor. She went over and picked it up. "I do now," she said before she tucked it safely in her bra. I gestured for her to walk past me and followed her out the door. She paused, not knowing which way to go, and then followed my lead as I passed her.

"Oh no," I heard her utter as we walked. "Seto, I need to use a phone," she said urgently.

"Why?"

"If my dad is looking for me, I need to warn Avery."

"Mm. There's one where we're going," I informed.

"Where's Mokuba?" I demanded when we arrived at the control car.

"He's been watching the duel and waiting for you, sir," explained one of my men, pointing to a screen verifying his remark. A man was with my brother as I had directed.

"Bring him here, now," I ordered.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba."

I gestured to Jem and turned to the phone. "Here." I picked up the phone and punched in Avery's number. Then I put the phone on speaker and hung it on the receiver.

"Yes? Who is this?" he answered.

"Avery, it's Jemmie. I am calling to warn you that my father is looking for me in case he were to find the loft."

"Oh yes, this was your father? Of course, the prick."

"What do you mean?" she asked worriedly.

"I was just visiting my mother and came back and the place was a mess," he responded. Then warned, "Jemmie, watch out now, your father's a real bastard."

"I'm all over it. And I encourage you to go back to your mother's until this is dealt with," she advised.

"Do you want me to start looking at other places?" he added.

She paused. "No, one place is as safe as the rest. Just take care of yourself for now." Then she looked at me, signaling she was done, and I ended the call.

"It hasn't even been 24 hours since you left." I had made the right choice in bringing her. She didn't say anything, knowing I was right, but not wanting to admit it.

Mokuba entered with his current guard. "What's going on, Seto? Why have you asked people to stay near me? Why aren't you out watching the duel?"

"Something came up," I said. Then announced, "Ok, as some of you may already know, Pegasus has come after me again-"

"He has?" Mokuba was surprised.

"Yeah," I heard from Jem, "Sorry about that- but not that sorry, he's not _your_ dad."

"-He has a pawn in my tournament, this Mauro guy," I continued. "Pegasus' main interests seem to be retrieving his daughter and defeating me. Now, I have requested that Mokuba be watched at all times. Pegasus is unpredictable and will not hesitate to take him."

"What about Jem?" Mokuba asked.

"Pegasus hasn't made any moves while I'm around. She'll be with me at all times," I told him.

"Well-" Jem interjected, "that hasn't been confirmed. I don't think I'll be-"

But Mokuba interrupted her. "You _will_ stay near my brother, Jem. He knows what he's doing." I could always count on my little brother to back me up, even when I didn't ask. "And besides," he lowered his head and quavered, "I don't want you to be taken away, too."

Jem, who until now had made it a point that she wasn't going to just allow herself to be taken into my protective custody, was quiet. She took in a deep breath. "Ok Moka," she exhaled, "I'll stay by your brother."

"At all times?" he made her clarify.

"At all times," she sighed. "But only because you asked me to," her resistance spark flickered one last time.

"You promise?" he urged.

"I promise," she vowed.

"Prove it," he said, picking up a pair of scissors. "Give me your access card."

She handed him the card apprehensively. He cut it into several pieces and threw it in the trash. "There, now there are no extra cards around and you _have_ to stay near Seto."

She sighed. "I guess I do. I have never known you to be so feisty, Mokuba."

"Ok," I pushed on. "Now that that's settled, I need you to keep an eye on this Mauro Kern guy. I intend to duel him in the next round, so I need all the information we can get on him. All known cards in his deck, any strategies he's used."

"How will you face him next? The next duels are going to be determined by-" one of my men started to question.

My eyes narrowed. "Not anymore, the next duels will be assigned. I'm not leaving anything to chance. I will not hesitate to use everything at my disposal to take down Pegasus. I'm through dealing with that maniac, and once he's been put in his place, I will be able to set my sights back on Yugi and return to the glory that is rightfully mine."

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Destination" - The train reaches the final dueling site


	24. Destination

_****Please tell me if you can see this, because my fanfiction account is acting up AGAIN**_

**Wow everyone, thank you so much for the reviews and adds! All the feedback really means a lot to me, and all the more since it has all been good feedback! Start the countdown, this fic has a total of 35 chapters!**

**Juliedoo: Thank you! I've put a lot of thought into it. It's really hard to _write_ an OC YGO fic without making the character a flaming Mary Sue. This is probably because all the cannon characters are either child geniuses, business owners, the most powerful undefeated person in the world, the best king (pharaoh) to ever live, and/or destined to continuously save the world. So, I'm really happy that you, and everyone else I have heard from, seem to think I'm pulling it off!**

**As always, enjoy!**

"Attention, guests. Soon we will be reaching our final dueling site. We should be there in about 30 minutes." Roland's voice announced loudly in every room.

The duels had been over for a while and a new day was beginning. Half the train had started to receive the sun's early morning light. Everyone on the train had been sleeping, even Seto.

Kaiba lay alongside Jem, who was warm and encased in his arms, both above the sheets and fully clothed. He, Jem and Mokuba had only been sleeping for a short while. Mokuba was curled up in Kaiba's room on the couch, covered by Seto's trench coat. They hadn't been there that long, but with everything dealt with that could be, Kaiba knew there would be little time to rest as they were fast approaching the resort. But with Roland's announcement, he opened his eyes and slowly rose, Jem sliding through his arms. Mokuba woke up too, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.

Jem had tried to pretend it didn't happen and go back to sleep, but with Kaiba getting up, she was disturbed and disappointed to find that she was waking up more. And as she did, she realized where she was. She was still on the train. All that bullshit had really happened, and she still had to deal with it. It was not nice to wake up to.

Then she felt a hand on her back, but it was clearly not Seto's, for she knew his touch. No, it was smaller and less rehearsed. "Come on Jem, it's time to get up." Mokuba had come over and was rubbing her back and using gentle words, just as she had done the first morning at her house. It lifted her spirits enough to arise.

Jem walked over to where the drawer was and took out her bag. She went back over and sat on the bed, taking her book from the side table and packing it away. She put the thin straps over her shoulders and waited.

Seto took his coat from the couch. The vast fabric rippled through the air as he spun it over his shoulders. He picked up his deck from the low glass table and stored it away in his front pocket. Then he picked up his duel disk, which had been resting next to it, and fastened it to his wrist.

Jem looked out the window. They were traveling through a sparse forest. Beautiful trees raced by periodically, but the beach started just beyond the tracks. Past that it was just miles of tumbling waves. The beach stayed a constant backdrop as the sun rose. Soon it was fully in the sky, though barely, casting yellow and orange light on the scene.

Kaiba, meanwhile, was radioing Roland. "Roland, what is the status on the security upgrade I asked for at the resort?"

"It has been tripled and is already in place." Roland responded.

She felt the train jerk to one side a bit, then another set of double tracks started to appear. They moved farther and farther away from the window. She could see further up a building was starting to appear. It was huge and neutral in color. It sat in the trees and then expanded down to the beach. There was a large area supported by beams that was cast out above the ocean. It had a large raised platform, and then a few more large beams that ran high up over it to support a seating area. The distance from the platform to the seats was as high as the building. _That must be the final dueling arena_, Jem thought to herself.

The view then started to disappear. The train had started to curve back towards the other set of tracks, which were also curved, now making it apparent that the tracks were adjoined to create a loop. The train was slowing.

"Come on." Kaiba said. Jem and Mokuba followed him out and down the hall to where they had boarded the train. No one else was there, apparently either still getting ready or entranced by the view Jem had just been watching.

"Welcome to the final dueling site here at Kaiba Retreat. Please exit the train where you boarded and make your way to the front desk for check in." Jem heard Roland's voice grow quieter as she followed the Kaiba brothers farther away from the train, already on their way.

The halls were surprisingly bright, cheery, and welcoming for being owned by Kaiba Corp., more welcoming, but Seto was a talented businessman, and this was appropriate for the setting. They reached a large room with lots of comfortable chairs and couches, a front desk, and a coffee station among other luxuries. Above it all a Blue Eyes White Dragon hung from the high ceiling, all made of a muted brass in the warm room. Kaiba walked past all of it and went straight to the elevator, Jem and little brother in tow.

Once in, he pushed a button to one of the highest floors and stood back, crossing his arms. They were still all silent in the early morning hours. Jem looked down at Mokuba, who was rubbing his eyes again.

When the doors opened, they stepped out into a hallway. On one side there were doors to suites, the other was just a glass wall. Kaiba turned and walked in the direction where the final arena could be seen. Jem kept him in the corner of her eye as she looked out over the beaches and waves.

The sun cast a bright, long reflection over the water. It reminded Jem of the one the moon cast the night she took Seto to the beach at Duelist Kingdom. The memory flooded back to her as she watched the waves gently caress the sand. She remembered the sadness she had felt that night, similar to what she felt now, and remembered the comfort she had found in Seto's arms. She reached out her hand to find Seto's. When Kaiba felt her fingers slide between his, he only turned his eyes enough to see what was happening. He saw her staring out the window, her lips still, eyes heavy, and was able to guess what was occupying her mind. He turned his eyes back ahead of him as he quietly returned her grip. He noticed her hand was warm, as her body had been in his arms when they awoke.

After a long walk, Kaiba stopped at the furthest door that was accompanied by a gold reader. He slid his card through and the door opened.

The train had been rather plain, but this most certainly was not. First, they entered into a modest oval-shaped room. The room was rather dim, lit only by a series of lights halfway up the wall that cast back a blue light. A chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. Straight ahead there seemed to be a vast living space, and to the left a smaller archway that led to a small kitchen. A narrow, tiled floor could be seen, framed by dark stained wood cabinets and a breakfast bar, both topped with black marble. A dark silver refrigerator could been seen at the end where the tiles turned past the breakfast bar. To the right there was another door, and behind them, next to the door they had just entered, there was a small screen and control panel.

Kaiba turned to the panel, checking to make sure the necessary security for the room was working and in place. Mokuba stayed at his brother's side as Jem slowly walked forward into the vast space. The room had light wood floors, dark rugs, glass tables, and clean silver seating. In the vast space there was a circular, freestanding fireplace that reached up to the ceiling. The room was embellished with plants, including modest trees and extravagant orchids, along with many other luxuries.

Looking past the furnishings, there was another wall of windows, showing that they were on the most narrow tip of the peninsula. As she got closer to the window, she could see many other areas of the resort, cascading down levels. Pools, outdoor beds, gardens, the works. She looked back, seeing that past the fireplace, there was a bar near where the space rejoined with the small kitchen. Just past that, moving deeper into the room, there was a curved wall that moved from behind the bar back towards the window. The wall was made of frosted glass, but Jem could only tell because she could see lights and the silhouettes of more plants behind it.

Jem made her way around the glass. There, she found the biggest bed she had ever seen. She walked up to it, stopping near the edge. Around it hung many sheets, tied together at the posts. Jem noticed Seto as he silently took his place next to her, looking at the bed.

Kaiba stood with his hands in his pockets, seemingly unimpressed. Jem supposed this must have bee where he stayed when he came for the inspection, and it was entirely possible that he expected no less. Not to mention, it was hard to impress Seto Kaiba.

"What ever are we going to do with this?" Jem asked quietly. Seto showed the smallest hint of a smile and glimmer in his eye as they continued to look forward, both beginning to privately answer that question.

Just then, Mokuba pushed between the two and jumped on the bed, spooking both of them. "This bed is awesome!" Mokuba cheered, bouncing up and down. He seemed to be awake now.

Off to the side of the room, there was a door opened to a bathroom. "I am going to take a shower." Jem said. As she crossed in front of Seto, she discretely ran her hand across his waste. She closed the door behind her.

"Stop that, Mokuba." Kaiba commanded. Mokuba stopped and let his legs stay up, falling to his knees and bouncing one last time.

They remained in silence for a couple minutes, each in their own thoughts. Through the door, they heard the spray of the shower. "Seto," came Mokuba's voice.

"Huh?" uttered Kaiba, coming out of his thoughts.

"I'm worried. I'm afraid Pegasus will take her away and we'll never see her again." Mokuba confessed, grasping the sheets in his hands and casting his eyes down.

"Don't be. It won't happen." Kaiba responded harshly.

"But-" countered Mokuba, "he's been able to kidnap me twice, and Jem is his _daughter_. Isn't he legally entitled to take her?"

"No, she's 18. Besides, I have always been able to take you back myself, even when the law was on my side, and he lost any rights he had to her a long time ago. But that's all irrelevant because she's not going anywhere. I have already made it clear to Pegasus that I will not just let him take her, and he doesn't deserve to have her anyway." Kabia spat. Then he guided his brother away from the idea, "Come on, I'll make sure your room is safe before I leave you."

Mokuba followed his brother back through the second door in the blue room as Jem showered.

The bathroom was large and fully tiled. There was a whirlpool next to an archway that lead to the shower area. Jem stood under the stream. Usually, she took hot showers to calm herself, but she was feeling hot already and had left the water a cooler temperature. She wondered if that was why the calming effect was not working. She rinsed her hair and body one last time before turning off the stream.

Before grabbing her towel, she gathered the length of her silky hair to one side and squeezed out the excess water. She took the towel and first rubbed it over her hair, then closed her eyes and held it to her face. She lifted her head a little, opening her eyes above the towel. She was still upset. She took a breath, then took the towel from her face and wrapped it around her body, finding it was rather short.

When she went back around the corner through the archway, she saw this was one of those hotel bathrooms that had a phone in it. The shower had not helped her feel better, so now it was time to try something else. The counter was next to the phone, so she went over and hoisted herself onto it. Once seated, she picked up the phone and dialed as she had before on the train. _Just hearing his voice might help,_ she thought.

"Who the fuck is this?" Jude answered grumpily.

"It's me," she sighed.

"Jem?" she could hear him sitting up in bed. "Why are you calling me so early? What's wrong?"

"Oh," she began, "I just- he has done something again and I just feel like I have no control over my own life, Jude." She was intentionally vague, not knowing how to tell him exactly what was happening without having to explain all she had previously kept hidden from him. "I don't know what to do."

"What are you talking about?" Jude did not like the sound of that.

As he asked this, however, Seto entered, back from Mokuba's room. "Oh, Seto's here, I have to go-" she said, then finished "Love you, Jude. Bye." as he protested, "Jem, no wait-" But she had hung up.

Jem turned her attention to Kaiba, who looked her over. He walked over to her and placed one hand on either side of her, leaning on the counter. Her hands absentmindedly found the edges of his jacket, close to where his necklace lay. "What are you doing in here?" she inquired a little playfully because she already knew why.

"You're supposed to be near me at all times, remember? You were in here, so I came to you." he answered, his tone was still as harsh as ever.

"Oh really? Is that it?" she laughed, knowing exactly what he was doing. He looked down, eyeing the edge of the towel, then ran one hand along the hem. Her hands let go of his jacket and eased up over his shoulders. He turned his eyes back up to her and leaned in to kiss her, his body following.

She kissed back, but then ran her hands back down to his chest and gently pushed him off. "Seto-" she laughed, "I have to get dressed." Kaiba didn't think there was anything funny about it.

She slid off the counter and passed his arms. She had left her bag further down on the counter and walked to it. Kaiba watched her as she pulled out a violet dress. She caught him watching. "Remember this?" she asked.

"Yes." he stated. It was the dress she had worn the first night she had come to dinner in his office.

She draped it over one arm as she pulled out appropriate lingerie. She turned to see him still watching her. "Here comes your favorite part," she bantered before she took off the towel, since he insisted on being there. She then rested her dress on top of her bag and slid on her undergarments. She reached under the dress and dug for a moment before taking out a comb. She gathered her wet hair again and started to detangle her hair.

"You needed to put those on to brush your hair?" he scoffed. She just glanced at him, smirked, then turned back, all while finishing combing her hair. He watched her pick up her towel again to collect any excess water, then slipped on her dress. He was reminded of the way it clung to her form, and was even able to see it better now with the light as she ran her hands along her body to smooth it out.

She then went to Kaiba, who had kept his eyes on her the whole time, and returned herself to his arms. She rose off her heels to kiss him. He placed his hands on the small of her back and then felt his way down around to her hips. She broke it off, enjoying the moment but not wanting to tease. In her somewhat depressed state, she just was not in the mood. She looked up with her bright eyes. "So, what is on the agenda today?"

He switched into a more business mode. "At seven there is a breakfast for all the guests and duelist. After that, they will be free to enjoy the resort. Lunch is at noon, and then the first duel of the semi-finals will take place. My duel."

"Well," replied Jem, spotting a clock, "it is almost seven now, and I could use something to eat. I am sure you will be expected to make an appearance, so let's grab Mokuba and then you can be our Mama Duck," she joshed, trying to make the idea of her having to follow him sound as unappealing as possible.

"Hm, fine." He knew exactly what she was doing. "I will be," he said flatly, knowing it was unexpected of him and he would thus gain the upper hand. He hit one of Jem's hips before stepping back and turning away.

She just laughed in amusement. As she followed him out, she conceded, "Touche."

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Breakfast Banquet" - You would think Joey would be enjoying himself, what could possibly upset him with so much food around?


	25. Breakfast Banquet

The banquet hall was brimming with people, and it was huge. Then entryway to the hall was very crowded, so Jem hovered close to Kaiba. She would have done this even without their current problems—she was afraid to get separated from him in this mess of people. God, what if someone actually tried to _chat_ with her? She checked again to make sure he was right there. At one point the crowd thickened and their path narrowed. She slipped in front of Seto, single file, and then turned to make sure he was still behind her. He was, but one of his men had intercepted him at the door for a check in. She stood just out of earshot as they spoke softly and the crowd buzzed, but he could easily see her from where they stood.

She waited patiently, looking around. Mokuba waited with her. From ahead she heard a woman's voice. "Oh it's you! My Kaiba-pooh!" she called just before crossing between Mokuba and Jem, yet seemingly still out of earshot of Kaiba.

Jem snorted and held out her hand as the woman was about to pass through. "Excuse me," interjected Jemmea. The woman stopped, and turned to Jem, her smile fading. "Did you just call him, '_Kaiba-pooh_'?" she asked, trying to stifle her laughter. Mokuba watched, unsure about what was about to go down.

"Why yes, he is a champion duelist, only one of few who is worthy of a beauty and talent such as myself." The woman narrowed her eyes. "And who might _you_ be? Were you planning on trying to make a move on my Kaiba?" she seemed to threaten. Jem looked at Mokuba, who seemed to expect Jem to become defensive or boastful. _There's no need_, Jem thought, _she called him 'Kaiba-pooh.' This will take care of itself._

"Oh, no," replied Jem, "I mean, I _was_ thinking about it, but now that you are here- Wow, I could never compete with a-" Jem noticed the duel disk she was wearing, even though Jem knew that this woman was not in the tournament, "-duelist," she concluded, "of your talent." Jem was working really hard to keep it together. _God, where is Jude when I need someone to appreciate this with me?_

"So you've heard of me!" The woman brightened.

"Oh yes." No she hadn't. "You are one of my idols. Now that you are here, I know that I have absolutely no chance. And the way you call him, 'Kaiba-pooh', that is just so... cute," Jem finished.

"Oh, you're a dear!" The woman beamed at her before she ran off. When she disappeared, Jem was holding her breath to prevent herself from laughing. She could now see Mokuba, who was realizing what she had done as a nervous smile started to creep across his face. A smile of something unfamiliar and enjoyable. His brother, though a jerk, was always very straightforward and clear about insulting people. He had never played games like Jem just had. Mokuba recognized the fun in it, but was still unsure of the consequences. When Jem made eye contact with him, she couldn't hide her smile and reached up to cover her mouth. They both looked to Kaiba.

The woman nudged Kaiba's goon out of the way and clasped her hands together, leaning close to Kaiba's face. "Oh Kaiba, darling! Remember me?" As she leaned in, he leaned away, looking a little horror struck.

"That's one of the girls you told me about on the train, isn't it?" Jem murmured to Mokuba.

"Yep, that's one of them," Mokuba confirmed as they both watched.

Kaiba collected himself when he realized what was happening and who was in his face. "You again," he condemned loud enough that Mokuba and Jem could hear. He leaned back towards her menacingly. "I thought I told you last time to stay the hell away from me," he sneered.

Her face melted and her voice grew quieter. "But, Kaiba, it's me. Vivian Wong? Top ranking duelist, model-"

He cut her off. "Oh, I know who you are. Which is strange, because I've never actually seen you do anything worth noting. Now, I will make myself very clear: I don't have time to deal with nimrods like you, so if you ever approach me again I will make sure you will never be allowed to step foot anywhere with even a view of any property, event, or anything else that is owned by myself or the Kaiba Corporation." He turned to the man he had been talking to. "Anything else?"

"No sir," he said bowing.

"Good," Kaiba snapped. He crossed an arm across his body and swept it back, pushing Vivian aside. Jem could see her as she watched him walk away, her shoulders hunched, her mouth gaping, and eyes sullen.

"Guess she has never been told 'no' before," Jem commented.

"The last person she should be around is my brother, then," Mokuba speculated.

Kaiba, extremely irritated, did not look back. When he reached the two he raised a hand and set it on the small of Jem's back, encouraging her to move forward with him.

Jem, in one last bit of fun, turned over her shoulder, causing her to wind into Kaiba's grasp more, and called, "Nice meeting you!" If Viv wasn't in total shock from the violent rejection, she certainly was now. Jem saw Vivian's whole being melt as Jem turned back to face frontward, Kaiba's hand still guiding her forward.

"Jem," Kaiba warned sharply. Then he unhappily asked, "Did you promote that?"

"No, I didn't need to do anything. I heard her call you 'Kaiba-pooh,' I just neglected to save her," Jem explained softly. There was a chance Kaiba would have found this funny had the event in question not been what had irritated him in the first place.

Across the room, the gang had already settled down to eat breakfast. Joey was in the perfect seat to watch the whole exchange go down. However, he could not hear them, all he could hear over the buzz was the chatter from his table.

Bakura had just sat down. "So Yugi, congratulations as always on making it to-"

"Nrrr, I still don't get it!" Joey yelled. "What does she see in him?"

"Here we go again," commented Tristan.

"Dat Kaiba is such a jerk, what's he ever done for her? I've only evah been nice to her. If it's not da money, or da dueling, den what?" Joey brooded.

"He let her come to him, Joey," Duke tried to explain. "He was never in her face or anything, nor will he ever be. That just works for some girls."

"What are you talking about?" asked Bakura. Mai and Serenity, who had arrived for the final round of the tournament, looked to the others with the same question.

"Jem and Kaiba, the two of them seem to be together," offered Yugi.

"Romantically?" asked Mai.

Yugi nodded.

"Well, how do you know?"Serenity questioned.

"We saw the two of them together-" began Tristan.

"Yeah," broke in Joey. "When we first saw dem she smacked him right across da face. It was da greatest ting evah."

"Now that," said Mai, "is something I would have liked to see."

"What do you think they were fighting about, anyway?" Téa asked.

"Beats me," answered Duke. "Most likely it was some kind of weird foreplay."

Joey, who had been stuffing his mouth more fiercely than usual, paused for a moment and shivered. "I don't know if I'll evah be able to forget dat image."

"Was I the only one who noticed the sexual tension between them all this time?" Téa finally interjected. The group now turned to her, slightly wide-eyed. "I think it's great it finally happened. It's good for them," she stated without regret.

Meanwhile Joey looked back to them. Kaiba had taken his hand off of her to pull out a chair at a small empty table near the front of the room. She slid down into it as he stood above her, his hand still on the chair but his eyes scanning the room, still clearly aggravated and on edge. Once she was seated, he took the chair next to her. Mokuba climbed in the chair on the other side of his brother.

Joey had not noticed how Kaiba's eyes had then locked across the room. Kaiba had found Mauro, who was staring at the small table. He met his gaze and gave him a fierce glance back. Overlooking this small detail, Joey exclaimed, "Did anyone else see dat? He was just so nice to her! He's never made a crude comment towards her dat I've seen. Why would he be so nice to her when he isn't to anyone else? He even has Mokuba always running his errands and carrying his briefcase around for him. I mean, what da hell?"

"He does it because he's clever," Duke said. "Let's face it, she's a vixen, and how does she act when anyone else approaches her or makes a move towards her? He likes to show off that he's the only one good enough for her or whatever. He treats Mokuba the way he does because Mokuba let's him and he can get away with it. But what self-respecting girl is to going to let anyone treat her like that?"

"What self-respecting girl would be with Kaiba?" Joey argued.

"Well, she has to be self-respecting," Tristan surmised, getting what Duke was saying, "otherwise she wouldn't be good enough to show off. Kaiba's got the girl and he has no problem flaunting it."

"Or it could be that he actually just likes her," Yugi said. They all turned to him. Yugi smiled weakly and put a hand behind his head.

"Well, they would have to have something in common. I mean, any two people who like each other enough have to, right? It seems their commonalities just happen to be disliking everyone else and insulting others, Joey in particular," Bakura speculated, taking the attention off Yugi.

"Well den a course he's gonna like her. Dat's da only girl he would like, da one just like him, da prick's ego is so big," Joey said.

"Why do you keep talking about it?" Serenity asked. Joey just growled.

"Because he's been coming onto her for awhile," Duke explained. Then he turned to Joey. "It was the way he was touching her just now, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" asked Serenity as Joey continued to growl.

"A little while ago, Joey tried to walk Jemmea somewhere and touched her in the same way Kaiba just did, except she nearly tore Joey's arm off," Duke replied.

"Joey, honestly-" Mai began, attempting to lecture him.

"Nrr it doesn't bother me!" Joey burst in protest. "I had just really wanted to see da good in her. But after all da chances I've given her and after all da tings she's said and done, I give up. She's just as bad as he is and I shoulda seen it a long time ago," he said before he dug back into his food.

Yugi looked back at Jem and Kaiba across the room. _I know she does have good in her heart, even if she doesn't want to show it_. Yugi thought. A deep voice responded to his thoughts, _'Yes, and Kaiba is the same way.'_ As his friends moved on and continued to eat their breakfast, Yugi observed the two of them. He saw Kaiba in his tense posture and expected glare, defensive as usual, staring across the room.

Jem took her napkin and placed it in her lap before she looked up to Kaiba. He noticed her turning to him and quickly shifted his gaze before she was able to see him staring across the room. For a moment, they looked at one another. Yugi thought he saw Jem with the slightest hint of a smile when she looked at him, and Kaiba even seemed to relax a little, though it was impossible to tell with the two of them. She then looked back down and opened her menu, laying it out in her place setting. As she started to look it over, Yugi noticed her ever so discretely move her hand and gently place it on Kaiba's knee. It seemed so natural. Yugi smiled to himself and returned to his breakfast._ I'm with Téa, I'm glad they found each other._

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Secret Weapon" - Pegasus takes the feud to a whole new level


	26. Secret Weapon

_Pegasus' POV_

The phone rang and I answered it. It was Mauro with an update, just as I had hoped. "What is it, Mauro?"

"Sir," he started, "I have news, but I'm not sure you'll like it."

"Well out with it!" I demanded.

"It seems that it is not strictly plutonic." he reported.

"What?" This was unacceptable. "Mauro, you must get her back at all costs. You must duel him-"

"Yes, I duel him this afternoon." he informed.

"Good. When you do, make sure you make it clear to him why you are there and that I sent you. Make him agree that once you win the duel and defeat him, he will no longer interfere with my affairs, and that you will bring her back to me and he will leave her alone. Do not dare come back to me without my daughter." I warned.

"Yes, Master Pegasus," he said before I hung up.

I was anxious and angry. I wasn't sure if Mauro could deliver. I had hired him to watch Seto Kaiba, but I did not hire him for this. He was not qualified for it. That prick was using my daughter to get back at me, but I wasn't going to let that happen, I wasn't going to give up so easily. If he was going to play dirty, so would I. It was time I brought out my secret weapon.

"Croquet," I ordered, "go fetch my son."

He nodded and left the room. Jude was the only real chance I had at getting my Jemma back. She would not fight him, and he would bring her back to me. He loved her more than anything and he trusted me. She loved him more than anything and did not trust me. He was the only person who would be able to bring her back home. I just had to set the stage.

It was not long before Croquet followed Jude back into the room "What is it, pops?" Jude asked. This may have been the first time I had sent for my son in years, naturally he was confused.

"Sit down, Jude," I requested. "I have some news you won't want to hear. It's about your twin."

He sat down. "What is it?" he insisted.

"Do you remember Seto Kaiba?" I started.

"Yeah," he said hastily, "What about him?"

"Well, I don't know how to tell you this Jude," I leaned my head to the side, lifting one hand to rub between my eyes, trying to look as distressed as possible. "He and I have been business rivals for a while now, but he has taken things too far. He has somehow managed to seduce your sister against her will in order to keep her away from me. He has her now, keeping her with him at all times during the tournament he is currently throwing, and you know that doesn't sound like something she would do willingly. I now have reports from someone in the tournament who has been keeping an eye on this for me, and he says that Kaiba has her stay in his room. As you know, Jemma has never taken much of an interest in boys, but she is just stunning. Even if she does like him, he's only leading her along, and it's all my fault. Seto Kaiba is a self-centered jerk who thinks he's entitled to anything he wants, and right now he aims to devastate me in any way possible. Jude, how do I say this?" I paused dramatically, "he doesn't take no for an answer... I'm so afraid that something is going to happen to her, or it already has."

"What are you saying..." Jude choked.

I looked at my boy, "Jude, you know what I'm saying."

"No..." he whispered. Than he stood up and roared, "No, NO! I'm not letting anyone violate my sister!" And he started to turn.

"Jude, calm down." My plan seemed to be working. "We don't even know the circumstances yet."

"We don't need to know the circumstances! We need to get her back! Where are they?" he demanded.

"Judie-boy, please." I pleaded. "I am putting a team of men together right now to go to her and take care of this. I have just found out their location."

"Send me, I want to deal with this guy. I'll bring her back home just as soon as I finish tearing this guy apart." he threatened.

"No, Jude." I played. "I cannot send you with such intentions. I can only send you to get her back."

He glared at me, thinking over how he could still go. Eventually, he decided to lie to me, "Fine, I will only bring her home. Just let me go."

"I suppose that would be appropriate." I said, trying to sound exasperated. "All right, son, get ready. I will send men to back you up. Be careful, that Seto Kaiba is powerful and dangerous."

Before Jude exited, he came over and put a hand on my shoulder to comfort me. "Don't worry pops, I'll take care of this. He won't hurt her, I'll make sure of it."

_Get ready, Kaiba-boy. The same brotherly devotion you always fight with is now coming for you._

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Fever" - Remember those 'strange things' Ishizu warned about? Well, they might just be happening.

_...fever in the morning, fever all through the night..._


	27. Fever

_...what a lovely way to burn..._

_Jem's POV_

Seto and I were back in his room. He had his deck out, placing cards together and re-examining all his strategies. While he did this, he kept referencing the information on my father's pawn that his men collected. Periodically, he would open his briefcase and look for another card.

He sat on the dark silver couch and I sat in an adjoining chair. Mokuba was out in the field with some men. I had not moved in a long time. I sat reclined, low enough in my chair that my head rested on the back. My arms fell on the supporting cushions and I had my feet up on the vast coffee table, away from where Seto had his operation.

My head was tilted towards the extensive windows. I watched the small people walk around a while, then my focus went back to the waves. Periodically, though, my focus would shift to my peripheral and I would concentrate on Seto. I enjoyed the stillness. I enjoyed watching him think and work, there was something very sexy about it.

My eyes looked up to the sun. I had been there for so long because I had not been feeling well. As I stayed motionless, my breathing had become deeper and weighted. I had been feeling warmer and heavier as time passed. I did not think being in the sunlight was helping, despite being behind tinted windows. The feeling had become too uncomfortable and I had started to only think about trying to find a little relief.

I slowly sat up, dropping one foot to the ground and then the other. I looked to Seto for a moment. He was still lost in his planning. I used my arms and the chair to help me come to my feet. Still feeling very heavy, I worked my way back to where the bed was. Unable to stand the heat anymore, I feebly pulled my dress over my head and threw it to the ground, teetering on my feet. I crawled onto the bed and untied the hanging sheets, blocking out the light and leaving only a soft glow. I let myself fall back. The untouched sheets were cool against my skin and the dim bluish light helped soothe my body. I laid mostly on my back, allowing the sheets to cool my spine, my arm covering my eyes. I did not move here either, except to roll occasionally as my spot started to reflect my temperature.

I don't know how long I was there for, or how conscious I had been during the time I was, but after a while I saw a shadow move across the wall of sheets. Seto pulled one of them back, the sheet catching on his forearm as he raised it high to lean on the post. He looked me over. "What are you doing?"

"I don't feel well," I said in a low voice matching my energy level.

He sat at the edge of the bed and put a hand on my abdomen as he had done yesterday. His hands were cold. "Ooh," I moaned and grabbed his wrists. I placed both his hands at the back of my neck and closed my eyes. I knew his hands would only be cool for so long and thought of what to do next. I had hoped his metal bands would be cool as well, but I could feel they had disappointingly maintained a certain warmth.

"You're burning up," he said.

"Yeah," I breathed, not really paying attention. After a moment I felt his lips against mine - he must have been studying me in that moment before. I kissed him back just to appease him, putting no effort into it. My focus was still on his hands, which I knew I only had seconds left with before they reflected my temperature as well.

When they did, I released his wrists and they traveled back down, one on my stomach again. It was warm now though, and irritating. I reached down and flipped his hand, hoping the back side would be cooler. It was, slightly, but it didn't matter because he pulled away. I think he had gotten up. I was able to confirm this when I heard him come back a minute or so later. "Here," I heard.

I opened my eyes and he handed me a bottle of water. It was cold and I accepted it gratefully. "Good idea," I breathed as put it to my cheek and closed my eyes again. I felt his hands creep under my back. I arched my spine to allow him better access, his hands cold again from the water. I tried to trap them once he had them underneath me.

But then, when I expected his lips, I instead felt him hoist me up. I let my head rest against his chest as he carried me to the bathroom. I had so many strange feelings, the discomfort from the heat, the cool air against my body, and Seto's body heat. Despite all that, in that moment there was only one sensation that stood out, and that was the comfort and softness of my head on his chest.

Then I felt cool water on my feet. He had run a cold bath for me and was lowering me into it. I submerged myself, my head resting on the edge, my body finally feeling lighter. As Seto turned off the water, I took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled. I still had the bottled water. Seto took it from me and opened it, then pushed it back on me. "I meant for you to drink this," he said and held it out.

I glanced at it out of the corner of my eye. "Come on, I duel soon and you are coming with me, so you need to feel better," he urged. So that's what this was about. I sighed at the thought of having to move, then sat up, taking the bottle from him. I drank a fair amount then settled back in. "How are you feeling?" he demanded.

"I'm starting to feel more like a real person again, thanks to you." I answered.

"Well it's almost time. Are you feeling well enough? "

"Yeah," I still felt a little weary, but much better than before.

Seto was near the towels and reached up for one and handed it to me. I stood up, letting the water run off of my body some before I stepped out and it pooled on the floor. I took the towel and pressed it to the front of my body, not too quick to dry off.

"Hurry up and get dressed. I'll be out here finishing my preparations." Seto ordered. He exited and I took off my wet lingerie. I didn't mind the water as it felt refreshing, so I only held the towel as I went to my bag, knowing I had an outfit made of a lighter, more breezy material. I pulled my garments out and finished drying off. I dressed, but could not find the strength or the force I needed to completely zip up the back of the dress. I sighed, my mind already starting to feel cloudy again. I sauntered out into the large space.

Seto was clearing off the glass table, putting all his cards back into the briefcase, save his deck. I went and stood between him and the window. "Will you finish zipping me?" I asked.

He looked up, putting his last few cards away. He then stood up and I turned to the window, pulling my hair to one side. I heard him come over and stand behind me, but he did not immediately finish zipping my dress. I felt his hands trail down my back under the cloth, traveling to the sides of my waist. "Hm." I said in response. I closed my eyes and focused on his hands tracing my body.

"You're still a little warm," he commented.

"I think I'll survive." I remarked.

In time, he pulled his hands away and zipped the dress. He then pulled me a little closer, and I rested against him, still worn out. I felt his kiss on the top of my head as his body came against mine. As he did, I knew his eyes were closed, and I knew he was thinking of only undoing that zipper later. Then he pulled away from me. "It's time," he said in his rough voice. I turned and looked to him, only to see him walking away.

I went over to put my shoes on as he went to the low glass table. He picked up his duel disk and put it on, then placed his deck inside. He then looked at his briefcase for a moment as I finished putting on my second shoe. As my foot fell to the ground, he sorted through his briefcase. Eventually he took out a card that appeared to be blank, though I was far away and could not be sure. He stored this in his coat. Then he looked over his shoulder, his head leading as his body followed in turning towards me.

He walked past me and I followed as we finally headed for the duel.

**Please review, I adore your feedback! And to be honest I'm losing my juice a little bit, so any words of encouragement have been and would be very much appreciated!**

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**Next Chapter:** "Seto's Semi-Final" - It's the duel we've all been waiting for.


	28. Seto's Semi Final

**** I just want to take a minute to say, all of you who have reviewed seriously are the best reviewers ever. I'm of course so flattered that you all are loving my story, but I really love that you give me embellished, detailed feedback. I really mean it, it means a lot to me, so thank you.**

_Jem's POV_

I was in a tunneled backstage area with the Kaiba brothers, the duel about to start any minute. Seto stood with his arms crossed, looking at the opening up a set of stairs that led to the duel arena. I could hear the cheer of the crowd high above and Roland's voice announcing the duel. "Now! It is time for the first duel of the semi-finals! Let me first introduce the new duelist on the scene, Mauro Kern!" There was cheering from the crowd, in anticipation of the duel I assumed since I didn't think he had a fan base. "And now, it is my honor to introduce his opponent, your host-"

I looked at Seto. He was motionless, arms crossed, with his usual stubborn look on his face, his eyes still ahead. He was listening for his cue.

When we met up with Mokuba before, he had surprised me with a parasol. "_To keep you out of the hot sun,_" he had explained. But now I turned and held it out to him. He understood my gesture and took it from me. Then I turned my attention back to Seto.

I shifted my stance towards him to get closer, then reached out and gently touched his arm. He turned slightly, only enough to see me out of the corner of his eye. I kept my hand on his arm and took a couple steps forward to stand front of him. As I did, he uncrossed his arms. He cast his eyes down to me and I looked up into them. I reached up and gently touched the side of his face.

I felt in my chest a sensation, I do not know how to describe it, it was like a lightness, or a turning, or a tickle. I am still unable to compare it to anything, but now I know what it was. It was the actual, physical feeling, of love.

At the time all I knew was that the feeling was because of him. I moved up onto the tips of my toes to kiss him. He came down to meet me part way. I closed my eyes. I felt his hands on the small of my back as he gently guided my body against his. The kiss was the sweetest, most tender kiss I had ever experienced. And that's when I knew I was in love. That was the first time I admitted to myself, that I was damn-well, helplessly in love, with Seto Kaiba.

"-one of the top duelists in all the world-"

We parted and I sunk back down. I wrapped my arms around his waist and aligned my body along his. I rested my chin on his chest and looked up at him.

"Was that for luck?" he asked.

"Luck? Don't you have skill? No, that was just because I wanted to," I answered. "But I will give you a kiss for luck if you want."

"No, you're right, I don't need it." I don't think Seto understood flirting, though I probably also didn't do it very well either.

"-one of the most successful men of all time-"

He looked back up.

"-Mr. Seto Kaiba!" Roland finally finished the introduction. I could hear the crowd go wild for the man I currently showed sentiments for. I let him go as he pulled back, then I stepped out of his way.

"Mokuba, take care of Jem. Hopefully this doesn't take long," he instructed before he ascended the stairs.

"You got it, bro!" Mokuba called.

I watched him walk up, then turned to Mokuba. "So you're my babysitter now? I hope your brother is paying you for this," I taunted.

"Seto never needs to pay me for any requests. I would do anything for my brother," Mokuba said as he started to turn away.

"I know you would," I admired.

"Come on, it's this way," he called over his shoulder as he started to walk. We walked deeper into the tall, wide cement tunnel, short enough lengthwise that it was still lit by natural light. "You know," he said as we walked, "you just brought out a side of my brother that I have never seen before. Ever."

"Hm," I replied, "I suppose it is a rarity."

"Well you know, you're the same way," he responded. "I've seen the way the two of you act when you think no one is paying attention. Case and point two minutes ago." I made no comment. Mokuba handed me back my parasol and I opened it, resting it against my shoulder.

We emerged from the tunnel. Though most of the spectator seats were high above the arena, there was a place for Mokuba and I to sit, sunken at the side of the dueling field. There was a thick cement partition, and then a raised second row were Yugi and his many friends sat. As I approached our seats, I realized the parasol would also make for a good divider for me to ignore the others.

Mokuba and I found our seats. With my free hand I smoothed my dress down before I sat, then looked up to the field. Seto and the man were shuffling the other's decks, both glaring at the other as they did so, then exchanged decks and went back to their respected sides.

Seto stood with his arms crossed. "I'll let you make the first move," Seto called out coldly to the man.

"How generous," the man responded. "But before we start, I've been instructed to make a few things clear." Seto narrowed his eyes. "I am here on behalf of Maximillion Pegasus, and my master has terms. He says that should I defeat you in this duel, you must hand his daughter over to me and stop interfering in his family's affairs."

"No way!" I heard one of the gang members yell from behind me. "It can't be, he doesn't mean-"

"Yes," Mokuba affirmed. "Pegasus has sent that man here to take Jem back against her will, but he has to go through my brother first. With Seto protecting her there's no way-"

"Mokuba, please," I said sternly, cutting him off. He was silent.

I heard Joey's voice quietly say from behind me, "That explains why she acted da way she did when I brought up her dad." Then I heard him add, "I guess I shoulda known—dat guy's a creep."

His friend, I can't remember his name, Trevor? Trenton? whoever- asked him to explain. I pretended I did not hear any of it and started to tune it out. This had gotten so much worse. The circumstances themselves were bad enough, but as I have said before, I did not like to be the center of attention, and I did not like people knowing any of my personal business. But I kept myself outwardly blank, only showing the slightest bit of anger towards the pawn.

"Don't worry," Mokuba assured me. "My brother will defeat this jerk. He always does."

"I will agree to your terms, but only because you won't win," countered Seto. "And once _I_ win, I suggest you take off running as fast as you can. But if you come to your senses before then, don't hesitate to get a head-start."

Then they simultaneously shouted, "Let's duel!" and the crowed went into an uproar. My head was starting to become cloudy again. I was grateful for Mokuba's gift, as the sun was still high in the sky, and hot. The sun and the noise overwhelmed me as things became hazier.

I heard Seto's voice and tuned back in. "Good first move, but let me show you how a real duelist does it," he exclaimed before he made his move. As the duel continued, I heard Yugi and the others make comments on their plays. And they, not just Mokuba, would call out quips of encouragement to Seto. However, they addressed him as 'Kaiba,' which I thought was odd. Seto had told me how it was the name of his adoptive father, a man he despised, yet he took and embraced the name. And here I was, disowning my birth father's name. Perhaps I would ask him about it one day, if I got to stay...

With that realization came a lot of what-ifs. What if Seto really does lose? What would happen if I did get taken away? Would I ever see Seto again? Or Mokuba? Would I have some way to communicate with them, and then should I? _Stop_, I told myself, _I have to have faith in him. And even if he does lose, I will not go willingly. I will fight that man tooth and claw with everything I have._

"Jem." I heard a stern voice. It sounded like Yugi's, but it was different. Fierce and low. I turned my ear to him. "Believe in Kaiba, he is a skilled duelist and more than capable of winning this match. But if it will make you feel any better, in the unlikely event that he does lose, I will duel Mauro Kern on your behalf."

I was confused by the kindness, but I was also insulted by him trying to take care of my problems for me. And again, I did not like the idea of being dueled over. "That is very generous," I began firmly, "but it doesn't work that way. That man is not here for the tournament. I would be surprised if he even stuck around to duel you, or your opponent, should he win," I reminded him knowing he had not won his semi-final yet. I turned away.

The man wiped out one of Seto's monsters, but Seto stayed poised with his arms crossed. Only his coat flared out behind him in the accompanying gust.

"Ha!" yelled the man. "Looks like I'm one step closer to taking your little girlfriend away from you."

"Hm." Seto narrowed his eyes, then drew a card and smirked. "I told Pegasus and I will tell you, I am _never_ turning her over. Not that it matters, because you will lose this duel. Then you can run back to your master and tell him that he should know better than to cross Seto Kaiba." Then Seto played one of his legendary dragons and attacked, inflicting an even more devastating blow than the one he had just taken.

I was beginning to feel warm again and a dull pain ran through my head and body. It was not sharp like the others I had experienced, but it lasted longer and became more intense as my body temperature rose. Soon I was worn and sunken in my seat. My breathing had become labored. Mokuba glanced over and noticed.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm not- feeling well-" I answered heavily.

He reached out and placed a hand on my forehead. "You're burning up," he said.

I smiled weakly. That was exactly what Seto had said.

"What?" he asked, a little confused.

"That- Your brother-" was all I was able to get out.

Then I heard Téa call down to us, "Hey, is she ok down there?"

Mokuba turned back to her. "No, she's burning up." He twisted to face me. "I'm going to go get you some water," he said before springing out of his chair. Out of concern, I was quick to hold out my hand and stop him.

"No," I struggled. "Not by yourself- Could be more- Too risky- Stay."

Mokuba made a disappointed sound as he planted both feet on the ground, his shoulders dropping. He tilted his head down, thinking of what to do now.

"Hey," I heard Téa again. "Did you say you needed water? I'll go get it for you."

"Yeah," Joey added. "I'll go with ya."

"Really?" Mokuba asked, turning to them. "That would be great, thank you guys."

I heard Yugi's low voice hum.

"Of course!" Téa volunteered cheerfully before Mokuba told her how to find it.

Mauro noticed my condition as she and Joey left. "Look, you can't even take care of her!" he boastfully accused Seto, practically laughing.

Seto looked to me and saw what the man was referring to. He clenched his teeth and Mauro laughed. Seto turned his attention back to his opponent and called out another fierce assault.

I stayed still and silent, looking to Seto, my mind occupied by how my body felt. Soon the two returned with the water. Joey stood next to me, extending the bottle. My eyes were downcast as I turned my head to him, and then my eyes flashed upward. Joey stood with one arm outstretched, the other hand in his front pocket. Téa stood next to him, her hands closed near her chest with a concerned look on her face.

"Here ya go," he offered.

I looked at it listlessly for a moment, then reached up and took it from him. "Thank you," I acknowledged wearily.

"So what, you're only nice to me when I do stuff for ya?" he accused.

"Joey-" I heard Téa say, annoyed as she nudged him in the ribs.

"No," I managed softly. "Usually- I find you irritating- but this- was gracious- so thank you."

"Eh, it was no problem," he claimed, waving his hand. I turned away.

"Well, we'll just be back here if you need anything," Téa chirped as she pushed Joey along.

I held the water in my hand. "Here," Mokuba said as he took it from me. He twisted it open and handed it back. _Hm. Again, just like your brother, Mokuba._ I took a sip, and it did help, so I drank another significant portion. Then I looked back up to the duel to see what had happened.

Then, the intense sudden pain was back. This time through my whole body. I doubled over, dropping both the parasol and water to the ground and cried out.

"Jem!" I heard Mokuba cry and I sensed him hop up. My eyes were closed tightly. All I could sense was the intense pain in my body and hear the voices of those around me.

"What's happening to her?" I heard Téa cry out, along with a gasp that seemed to belong to a young girl.

"It is her ka," I heard an unfamiliar woman's voice answer.

"Her wha-?" asked Joey.

"She has a force inside of her. I did not foresee it getting this bad. Her body is no longer able to handle the power within her. Kaiba may not have a choice soon."

"Mokuba, who is this woman? Get her away from me!" I screamed.

"Jem..." Mokuba replied softly, slightly holding up an arm to me.

I heard Seto call an attack, then the man's voice cry out, "No I lost!" and the crowd go wild. I held my head, shaking. The noise only amplified the pain.

"Jem! Jem!" I heard Mokuba rejoice. "He did it! Seto won!"

The man's voice came again, "No, I can't go back without her!"

But right after I heard the pawn, the other noises were replaced with- helicopter blades? And then I heard my most beloved voice of all cry out, "You bastard!" accompanied by gasps.

"Ju-Jude?"

**So did I do ok with that chapter? Did it live up to your expectations?**

**Dustfinger's cheering section: I LOVE that you're paying attention to the details! I include a lot of clues in the fics (I would like to think it's one of those series that a reader can reread once it's complete and then see them all for what they are and say "holy shit!", though again, I'm not always sure how my writing comes across to others).**

**SO! If it's not clear, everything she has been experiencing has been because of the ka (still to be explained a little further). **

**And Namara, I can finally confirm that no, she is not (as though Kaiba wouldn't take every precaution to keep control over his life, and he's always one step ahead, never reckless, unless he's dueling Yugi on the roof trying to get Mokuba back), so breathe easy! Well, for that anyway.**

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**Next Chapter: **"All Fired Up"- we reach the climax

_...when her daddy tried to kill him, she said "Daddy, no, don't you dare" he gives me fever..._


	29. All Fired Up

**A warning for those of you who do not handle loss well, and a warning for violence.**

… _you see I've got this soul, it's all fired up..._

As the duel ended, a helicopter bearing the Industrial Illusions logo descended into the middle of the arena. Jude, enraged and impatient, jumped down from the chopper while it was still about six feet from the ground. When he landed, he looked up to see Kaiba ahead of him.

"You bastard!" he called out before briskly charging him. Seto, confused by this, looked to Jem to see if she knew why he was here, only to see her doubled over, the parasol open on the ground and water pooled around a bottle at her feet. This gave Jude the opportunity to get in the hit that Kaiba otherwise would have been able to evade. Mokuba cried out to his brother.

The hit temporarily crippled Seto, and Jude turned to where he had been looking. He saw his twin in her disarrayed state. He addressed Kaiba without taking his eyes off her, "**What have you done to her?**"

Jude ran and jumped down from the field, rushing to his sister's side. He knelt before her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Jemmie! Jem! What happened? What's going on?"

She looked up finally, "Ju- Jude? Is that really you?" she panted. She was in bad shape.

"Yes, it's me, I'm here Jemmie. I'm here," he said hastily. She fell forward into her brother's arms. He guided her body safely to the ground, never letting go of her.

Once the chopper landed, a team of large men climbed out and headed straight for Kaiba, who was trying to reorient himself. He had turned to look to Jem and was overstimulated and overwhelmed with confusion. This made him notice the men too late, and only did as he heard Mokuba yell, "Seto, look out!"

Kaiba was able to fight off the first man, but there were too many of them. Two were able to grab him and another take a swing. Roland ran up, trying to help, but the largest man just elbowed him in the face.

Jem heard Mokuba's cries and turned to see Kaiba take the hit. "_Seto!_" she cried.

Jude tried to comfort her. "Don't worry, Jemmie. I'm not going to let him get away with what he's done to you. He'll be lucky if he survives this." _What?_ she thought, terrified.

She saw Kaiba take another hit and fall to his knees. Then she saw Mauro hastily approach the group of goons and start to pull a weapon from within his coat. _"Seto!_" she cried again, trying to sit up, but her brother held her back, and Seto was left wide open for the attack. **"NO!"**

No one could believe what happened next.

As soon as her brother's hand had pushed her back, her pale blue eyes glowed. And then, a dragon rose from her body before her frame went limp. The spectators watched in shock. The dragon was light, with platinum scales and pale blue eyes. It rose upwards with its huge, triple hinged wings, carrying its slender body. It stopped and opened its wings to their full extent, then it looked down at the men and cooed. It started to dive.

The men, terrified, dropped everything and ran to the end of the pier. The dragon followed them, cooing and swooping as they plummeted into the ocean and started to swim for shore. Jude, in shock with the others, absentmindedly loosened his hold on his sister, turning to follow the dragon in complete awe.

Kaiba, however, was not mesmerized like the others. After the men had fled, he had seen the dragon, but he had more pressing concerns. He quickly turned to Jem, only to see her still and limp on the ground, barely in her brother's arms. "Jem-" he whispered to himself. As the others continued to watch the dragon pursue the men, Seto ran and jumped down from the arena, dropping to one knee and easily taking her from her stunned brother's arms into his own.

"Jem!" he said sternly. She was limp and lifeless, and was no longer burning but now freezing cold. "No-" He grasped her tightly in his arms and rested his ear on her bare chest. There was no heartbeat. He brought his face to hers and sensed no breath. Only the Pharaoh took notice as the others watched the men swim ashore.

The dragon cooed again, more aggressively this time, as it stretched out its wings to their full span and took in a breath. Then it exhaled blue embers, covering half the beach. When the flames disappeared, so had the men. All that was left was a massive sheet of glass.

Kaiba still paid no attention. "No, this isn't happening!" He closed his eyes and put his forehead against hers, gritting his teeth. Now several of the others started to notice.

"Oh no," Téa whispered when she saw what was happening.

Mokuba also noticed. "Seto-" he pleaded, looking for some assurance from his brother as tears came to his eyes. "Is she-"

But his brother did not answer him. He did not move or lessen his tight grasp around her.

Ishizu and Marik were the last of the few who noticed. "Kaiba, I warned you this would destroy her," Ishizu attested while her brother watched silently and knowingly beside her.

"No! You're lying! I haven't lost her! I haven't lost!" Kaiba yelled in defiance. He held Jem close in his arms, burying his face in her silvery-vanilla hair. He tightened his grip around the lifeless girl, and for perhaps the first time in his life, tried to fight back tears. He whispered one last plea in her ear, "No, this can't be happening: I love you."

**Yeah, I do think someone needs to die for Kaiba to admit he loves them, and to be honest, I'm still not entirely sold that it would even happen then. But for this, we're going to go with it. And yeah, sorry guys.**

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**Next Chapter:** "Loss"

…_she was gone before I ever got to say, "lay here my love, you're the only shape I'll pray to"…_


	30. Loss

The others watched as the dragon turned back and flew to the arena. Kaiba did not see the dragon as it gently approached and extended its nose to him. Back in the second row, the Millennium Rod had begun to glow, unnoticed.

It didn't make sense, he was holding her, but now there were no arms wrapped around his neck. Kaiba shook, refusing to accept the loss. He had just won. He had just won her right to stay with him, and after all the precautions he had taken, he had still lost her.

Ishizu now noticed the rod glowing and knew it was time. "Kaiba," Ishizu said sternly. It took him a moment to tear his eyes away from Jem and glance over at her. "The card I gave you."

Kaiba remembered it, and strengthening one arm around Jem, reached into his pocket and pulled it out. Suddenly, the card and the dragon glowed, and then the dragon dissipated. Kaiba saw it appear on the card as the exact same image Jem had painted back in Domino.

When the dragon disappeared, the crowd erupted in applause. People were shouting out how excellent the duel and tournament were, thinking it was all staged.

Seto looked back down at her. He had hoped, for just one moment, that all that magical nonsense was true, and what Ishizu had prompted him to do would somehow awaken her. She was still limp and cold. He forgot about the card between his fingers as he returned his hand to hold her. He held her closer to him, burying his face in her neck.

He would try one last time. He would say the words that no one ever expected him to say. Maybe that would shake her back awake. It had to. "I love you," he whispered.

Nothing happened. He still didn't understand. He could still feel her. Still hold her. He still recognized the way she felt in his arms. Her scent was just as intoxicating.

And her voice was still as sweet when she whispered, "I love you, too, Seto." He rapidly pulled back to see if it was even possible that he could have heard her.

Her eyes were open, but weakly. She looked into Seto's and used what little strength she had to reach up and touch his face. She smiled as she peered at him, and brushed the hair away from his eyes, as she had done many times before when she awoke in his arms. "What... happened?" she breathed.

Kaiba did not answer her, but instead brought the card back up to look at it, searching for some explanation. When he did, Jem closed her eyes again to rest as Kaiba read the card:

_Sapphire Platinum Dragon_

_3300/3000_

_[Dragon/Effect]_

_While this card is in play, the attack/defense points of all monsters on that side of the field cannot be lessoned unless the holder does so. Once per duel, when this monster is removed from the field, the holder's life points will return to the highest they had been at any point prior in the duel._

Seto felt Jem's hand continue to caress his face. He placed the card in his deck, then gathered her in his arms. He stood up, turned to leave, and started to walk back to the resort.

That was when Jude finally regained his senses. "Hey, _**HEY!**_ _Where do you think you're going?_" He started to take a few steps after Kaiba, but Mokuba intercepted him.

Mokuba stood between Jude and their siblings, arms sprawled out, blocking his path. "Hey you, out of my way!" Jude yelled.

"No, I'm not going to let you take her away from us!" Mokuba shouted.

Kaiba stopped and turned to look over his shoulder. "Mokuba," he said sharply, taking his brother off guard. "It's fine. He's her brother. He's only trying to protect her," he finished before turning back.

Mokuba turned back to Jude, both of their defenses lessened a little by the confusion from Kaiba's statement. "Huh?" pondered Mokuba, slightly lowering his arms. "You're the brother she told me about? Then why are you attacking my brother? He's only trying to protect her, too." He said before lowering his arms completely.

Jude was no longer on the offense, just confused. "Seto Kaiba is your brother?" he clarified.

"Yeah..." Mokuba answered. He picked up the locket around his neck and opened it to show Jude the picture of Kaiba.

"What is he doing with my sister?" he asked.

"Well, I would assume he's taking her to the medical ward. Come on, I can take you there."

**Who thought I was really going to have them go through 80,000 words just for her to die [permanently]? What would you have done if this chapter had turned out any different? Or better yet, didn't exist at all? Did any of you figure it out before now? or what did you think was going to happen?**

**Again, if it's not clear: healing flesh wounds = attack/defense points being maintained, headaches = her unable to tolerate the building power, fever = fire, and of course, coming back to life when dragon is captured in card = restoring life points when dragon is removed from field (though this isn't a duel, she did just die so she's not quite up to speed yet). Hopefully you guys were able to figure that out without this explanation though!**

**Dustfinger's cheering section: Does that explain the card better? It is my impression that Kaiba always knows what's going on, he's just always in denial about it, but therefore he figured out that all the weird things that were happening to her were because of what Ishizu warned him about, smart guy his is and all.**

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**Next Chapter:** "Brotherly Love" - Jude gets clued in and much much more.


	31. Brotherly Love

**Namara Jane Knight: No, it is not a real card. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are any cards with either of those abilities. (Also, when I was proofreading this chapter, I thought specifically to myself about how much _you_ would love the card!)**

**Dustfinger's cheering section: Yes, similar, sort of accidentally intentionally. More yellowy and a different silhouette. But when I made her I chose her coloring to be that similar to a Blue Eyes, since I wrote her for Kaiba (so based on what I think he would like/catch his attention, aka Blue Eyes, not what I think he should like, hence why she is not an adorable redhead) and the card piece wasn't really there yet when I started. And Sapphire just had to be used, with the blue and 'fire' homophone. I've gone back and forth on the card, not 100% with it, but then I realized that's why I write fanfics and don't produce YGO cards, so I stopped worrying about it too much, so long as the basics were addressed. And I separated the soul and ka in my mind, so I hadn't thought of that, it doesn't mean I'm right, but just so you know where my thought process is on that (and hence will therefore affect my story). I always thought the extraction was so physically taxing that they died, not because the ka was their soul (because I don't remember seeing anyone catatonic, but again I could be wrong) so now the card is just a card, and I don't think Seto would allow himself to see it as more than that. And I don't want to see Kaiba go crazy either. I don't hate him. And he's already kind of a pain in the ass to write, and would be super annoying if he was just angsty all the time, so I'm glad you like my alternative, too!**

* * *

"My brother has pretty long legs, so he moves pretty fast." Mokuba explained to Jude as he led him to the medical ward.

Jude was still trying to understand as best he could what exactly was going on. "So, you said Jem talked about me? How do you know my sister?"

"Yep. I've known your sister for almost a year now. She helped Seto save me and he's been seeing her ever since. She brought you up one time when I found out that she was wealthy and didn't care about Duel Monsters and all that stuff. It left me without a doubt that she truly liked my brother. I told her how relieved I was to know that, and she she said she understood because you were the same way with her." Mokuba remarked, then tried to clarify. "Like, I always worried that people would only like him because he was wealthy or-"

"-Because she was beautiful?" Jude continued.

"Or only for power or to be in the spotlight?" Mokuba added to the list as the brothers started to understand one another.

"Ha! The last thing Jemmie wants is to be in the spotlight." Jude snickered politely, starting to realize he may have received false information from his father.

"I know!" exclaimed Mokuba. "I'm so happy my brother found her. It's only ever been the two of us, and he deserves someone like her."

"Well what about him?" Jude asked and Mokuba looked over to him. "Would I be able to say the same thing about your brother? No offense, but he seems like a stone-cold jerk."

"Yeah, he does come off that way. Until Jem came along, I was the only one who had known his caring, selfless side. I love my brother more than anything, and no one seems to really get him like I do, but sometimes I think she understands him even better than I do. I have seen the two of them when they think no one is looking, and they are so loving towards one another. She brought out another side of my brother that I have never seen before."

"Loving?"

"Yeah, you know, relaxed, gentle, and she gets this softened, enchanted look in her eyes when she looks at the him, and he looks at her likes she's a treasure."

"You said he was protecting her? From what?" Jude asked.

Mokuba looked at him, not knowing what to tell him. "I think you should ask her that."

Meanwhile, Kaiba had reached the medical ward. "Mr. Kaiba!" exclaimed one of the doctors nervously. "What brings you here?"

"I want you to evaluate her and make sure she's stable," he answered roughly. He walked over and placed her on one of the cots as the doctors scrambled to get equipment together.

She had not made a sound since he had picked her up. She still looked weak, her eyes hazy. Once he set her down, he did not pull away. Instead, he lowered himself, placing an arm along each side of her, and rested his head on her chest. "You're cold," he said as his skin met hers. He turned his head and ran a hand down her leg, taking first one shoe off and then the other. Then he dug his other arm underneath her and lifted her slightly, standing up and pulling the sheets down. He laid her back on the bed and covered her up.

"It was warmer when your head was on my chest," she said softly, trying to get him to come back.

Kaiba sat on the bed next to her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Just weak, exhausted..." she answered softly.

But at that moment a doctor came over with the equipment. "Ok, if I could just have this arm-" she requested. Jem slightly lifted the arm as Kaiba slid off the bed and sat down in a chair next to her.

It did not take long to get her vitals. As the doctor finished, the brothers entered. "Jemmie!" Jude cried upon seeing his twin. He ran over. As the doctor started to push the equipment away, Jude moved in and took her place, opposite Kaiba. Jude took his sister's hand in his two.

"Jude," marveled Jem, "you really were here." He kissed her hand.

"Jem!" Mokuba, too, rushed in and took a stance at his brother's side. "Are you ok?" he asked.

The doctor answered, "I have almost finished checking her out, and it looks as though she'll be fine."

"Well, what are you doing over there, then? Get back over here and finish doing your job!" Mokuba commanded.

"Moka," Jem turned to him. "You bossy little thing," she chuckled lightly.

Jude placed his other hand on her forehead and she rested her eyes at his touch. The doctor came back and finished examining her. "She appears to be stable, she just needs to rest," reported the doctor before leaving them alone.

Jude sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed. "So Jude, why are you here?" his sister asked.

"Well, Dad told me-"

"Dad told you what?" she pushed, getting upset.

Jude glanced at Kaiba, who was still and sitting with his arms and legs crossed, glaring at Jude. Jude looked down. "He just told me some things and now I'm not sure he had it quite right..."

"What did he tell you, Jude?" Jem implored, her anger seeming to give her more energy.

Jude took in a breath, "He told me that Kaiba was trying to keep you away from him, and made it sound like he was keeping you against your will, and-"

"And what, Jude?" Jem snapped.

Jude looked up at Kaiba again. Kaiba was glaring at him. Jude looked down shamefully. "And he mentioned how beautiful you are and said Kaiba never takes no for an answer."

"That bastard! He used you, he fucking used you Jude!" Jem exploded. "He knew that if he told you that you would go after Seto and try to save me and bring me back home. That ass fucking used you in their feud!"

"Calm down, Jem," Mokuba uttered, his concern showing in his voice as he saw her take on too much.

Jude asked, "Why, exactly, are they feuding?"

Kaiba spoke for the first time since the boys had entered the room. "Because your father is a deranged psycho who is constantly trying to take over my company and has kidnapped my brother multiple times, for starters." Kaiba was unhappy with having to explain this to Jude.

"Do you actually believe this guy?" Jude asked his sister.

Jem was quiet for a moment. Then softly, "Jude, there are things I haven't told you about-"

Kaiba knew it was time to leave and stood up.

"Huh?" Mokuba muttered.

Jem sat up and grabbed Kaiba's arm. He turned his head to look down at her. "Are you leaving?" she asked.

He turned his body slightly towards her. "For now." Then he turned back and started to walk away. "Come on, Mokuba," he ordered. Jem held his arm until she couldn't reach anymore. And he allowed her to hold it, as he pulled away and his arm ran through her hands.

"Right!" said Mokuba as he followed his brother. Before he left, he turned back and yelled, "Don't you dare believe any more lies about my brother! And feel better, Jem!" Then he closed the door behind him and his brother.

"Are they the reason you said we should get matching necklaces? Mokuba showed me the picture of his brother he has around his neck. I noticed Kaiba had the same necklace." Jude mentioned.

"Yeah, Seto carries a picture of Mokuba in his." Then she lowered her voice, "It's actually pretty adorable, but you're the only person I can tell that to."

"So now you want to be cute?" he inquired.

"After seeing them, kinda," she smiled.

He leaned in, "So are you really ok?" he asked quietly.

Jem turned on her side, facing him, one arm under the pillow. "Yeah, Jude, I really-" she composed herself, about to express her feelings. "I really love those boys. I mean, I like them individually, but part of the reason I was able to connect with them so well is because their brother is the only family they have. Each of them loves their brother more than anything, and I know what that is like."

"So you don't love them more than me?" he tested.

"Jude," she sat up, reaching out to sweep a mess of hair from his face, propping his boat hat up a little farther on his head, then rested her hand on his cheek. "When are you going to have faith in how much I love you?"

Jude closed his eyes and put a hand over hers before she retracted it. He opened his eyes again. "So, what haven't you told me?"

Jem laid back down and sighed. "Jude, our father has created an terrible world for me to live in. I never wanted you to have to live in the same world, so I never told you..." She went on to tell him of the awful ways their father had treated her over the years, the terrible things her father had done to others, how almost a year ago she had been helping Seto rescue Mokuba from their father. Jude listened in disbelief.

_Seto's POV_

I went to the security room to speak with my men, Mokuba in tow.

"So what did he mean when he said she was beautiful and you don't take no for an answer?" Mokuba asked me before we reached the room.

I didn't look at him, but I knew he was growing up and would have to learn about these things eventually, and I knew it was my responsibility to discuss it with him. "He thought I raped his sister, Mokuba." I said flatly.

"What?" cried my brother. "But you would **never** do that."

_It would be impossible for me to do anyway, she willingly surrenders herself to me_. "Yes Mokuba, but he doesn't know me. It's his duty to protect his sister, just as it is my duty to protect you. He is only doing his job." Mokuba was quiet, thinking this over in his head the rest of the way to the control room.

Roland saw me when I entered the room and promptly came over to me. "Report." I commanded as I crossed my arms and turned to the screens. I watched the guests as they enjoyed time before Yugi's duel. They looked happy.

"Well, we have been looking, but so far there are no signs that there is anyone else here working against you, Mr. Kaiba. And their reaction to the, er- event – they seem to think it was staged for their entertainment. You know, like wrestling, sir." he informed me.

"Those idiots. Why would I ever take a hit for their entertainment?" I sneered. "But I suppose that's all fine, no more freakish monster scares or other bullshit for me to deal with."

I spent some time looking things over myself before I went back to the medical ward. When we got there, I stopped outside the door, crossed my arms, and leaned against the wall.

"What are you waiting for, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

Then I heard Jude cry out in fury. "That." I answered as I pushed myself off the wall. I entered. Jem looked over at me while Jude turned away, pushing his hat up as he covered his face with his hands.

"Hey, Seto. I would prefer not to be here, may I leave?" she asked.

I turned to the doctor for that answer. "She'll be fine, she just needs to take care of herself."

I walked over to help her up, Mokuba at my side. She sat up and draped her legs off the side of the bed, leaning forward a little. She was close to Mokuba. "Mokuba, will you find a room for my brother?" she asked softly.

"Will he be ok?" Mokuba asked. They turned to look at him.

As she turned back I offered her my hand. She took it and started to pull herself up. "He will be fine, he just heard a lot of terrible things. He needs time to process," she explained to Mokuba. When she got to her feet, she couldn't support herself. Her knees buckled and she fell into me. I caught her, and then impatiently scooped her up again. She gratefully rested her head against my chest. I turned and left our brothers, ready to move past all this. As I walked, she toyed with my necklace, eventually opening it to look at Mokuba and then closing it again, turning it over in her hands.

A lot had happened today that angered and irritated me. I was ready to put this all behind me and move on to destroy Yugi, but first I needed a break from people. I was relieved to be able to take that now, only with Jem, who stayed quiet and barely had any energy left. I know she would be relieved for this to be over, too. She had come into this thinking that she would simply be accompanying me on a getaway, and now she could not even stand on her own. But I did not regret my decisions - they had all been the right ones. Though I had to carry her now, she was still here. I could still hold her in my arms.

When I approached my door, she reached into my coat pocket and took out my keycard. She turned and I felt her legs tense, toes pointed, and one leg lift slightly as she slid the card and tried to balance in my arms. The door opened and she returned the card to my jacket as I entered.

I walked through the room to the bed and laid her down, slightly propped up on the pillows. I took off my duel disk and set it away from her on the bed. I climbed on top of her, tucking my arms under her as I wrapped them around her waist. I rested my head back on her chest. I suppose now I was guarding her, keeping any more bullshit away. As we lay there in the stillness and the silence, I was again able to be comforted by her heartbeat and soft breath. She wove her hands into my hair and I closed my eyes, continuing to listen to her heart and feel her chest rise. As time passed they became more steady – she had fallen asleep.

I thought about how much I had been through in the past 24 hours. Yet, as always, my hard work paid off and I came out on top, having it all. Well, not all, but soon I would be able to claim the last prize once I defeated Yugi. I fantasized about my soon to be victory and how everything would finally be complete as I basked in the glory that would again be mine. I continued to enjoy these thoughts as I held Jem. I relaxed with the combination, and eventually I, too, drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**So I have been writing and writing and writing. Prequel is done, and the third with SK is mostly done, but still has a lot to go, and I'm getting a little worried because if I post one chapter a day, I technically have five days to finish it. Right now I have 50,000 words and several chunks that still need writing. It's probably so long because it's a crossover (any of you watch Vampire Knight? If not, watch the first episode, especially those of you who think YGO men are attractive) which seemed really strange at first, even though I went with it, but it has actually come together really nicely and much better than I thought (originally the prequel was going to stand alone as its own VK fic with a little punk-rock lesbian OC, but weirdly enough including it in the series with Jem used again makes the story line a hundred times better). It is still set in the YGO world, really just containing one character from the series, but they are used pretty heavily. So sometimes I worry that just because of the one change it is all for nothing. Basically I'm wondering how many of you would still be interested**** (or are even excited about it)****, would give it a chance, or if it is a deal-breaker.**

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**Next Chapter:** "The Lovely Realization" - Who would be stupid enough to bother Seto Kaiba?


	32. The Lovely Realization

**luckyxtrick: thank you so much, that meant a lot and made me feel much better. And you should go ahead and give it a shot! (the prequel takes place before the series, so you could get away with only watching the first episode to know what's going on/the character(s), but the third takes place after the series, just a warning against spoilers if you do end up liking it)**

**Namara: I didn't go so far as to predict you would love it, but I did expect you to enjoy it!**

* * *

_Seto's POV_

I awoke to the sound of a knock on my door. I stirred and sat up slowly, knowing Jem still slept by the pattern of her breath. The light was fading; the sun was setting. My duel had lasted a long time. I heard another knock. _Who would be foolish enough to disturb me?_

I went to my door swiftly and peered through the opening, as I had instructed Jem to do at her loft. It was Jude. I opened the door.

"Hey man, I wanted to talk to-"

"Quietly," I interrupted. "She's sleeping."

"She's in here? Isn't this your room?" he asked in a lowered voice. He shook his head. "Right, of course she's here."

I realized how protective he was of her. I did not have a sister, and Mokuba had not yet reached a dating age, but I suppose even if I did and when Mokuba was old enough I wouldn't care. I could not relate to him.

He nodded and entered silently. "Well, I have her shoes, you forgot them when you left," he said, raising the shoes to show me before lowering his arm and dropping them.

I shut the door as he looked up and around, his hands in his pockets. I turned to him and crossed my arms. "What is it?" The last person who dared to bother me had been the mutt during Battle City. In some ways, Jude reminded me of Wheeler. Though I would try to show him respect, since Jem valued him, even though I did not even remotely share the fondness she had for him or my brother.

"Well, I don't know, I have been thinking about calling my dad, seeing as I do not plan on returning home now. However I'm pretty upset with him and don't really want to talk to him right now, but if I don't he may send more men-" he thought aloud.

"I will take care of it. I have a few things I would like to say to that maniac and will explain your absence in the process," I snapped.

He nodded, almost apologetically. "Thanks, man."

"Is there anything else?" I asked impatiently.

"I just wanted to ask how my sister was." I had a feeling that's what this was really about—he wanted to find her. But he was now sensing the uneasiness that his presence brought, starting to realize that he was in _my_ space. "Is she ok?"

"She's doing fine."

Then, softly, I heard her voice as she stirred. "Seto?"

Both Jude and I turned towards her voice. "Jude," I said sharply, annoyed with him, feeling like it was his presence that had disturbed her.

He turned a bit. "Yeah, man?"

"Get that fucking helicopter off my dueling field," I demanded, then started to walk to Jem.

He held up a hand to stop me. "I will. I'm going to take off, just let me say goodbye to my sister first."

I stood back and waited, recrossing my arms, signaling for him to go and make it fast. He nodded then turned and went to her.

"Jude?" I heard her again softly. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey sis, your boyfriend's kind of a prick," I heard him say. I wanted him to leave faster.

She huffed. I could picture her throwing her head back to look away from him, then she said cynically, "Yes, you have conflicting personalities and are both overly protective of me, I know."

It was quiet for a moment, then he burst, "Jemmie, a fucking dragon came out of you!"

"Oh yeah?" Jem mused. She probably didn't remember any of it. "Looks like you were right after all. Was it a boy or a girl?"

There was a pause. "Jemmie- you were dead. You _died_. You died in my arms. I never want something like this to happen again."

"Well, you are going to have to get over that because I will die someday, Jude. I'll do my best not to make it 'like this,' though." She was still the same unconcerned girl I had come to know.

Jude sighed. "I'm going to head out. I just wanted to say bye."

"What? Where are you going?" she asked, concern now in her voice. This made me realize that she did have concerns, they were just select and never about her.

"I'll go to Declan's or Sam's, it'll be fine, just so long as you're ok."

"Jude-"

"I'll come see you again soon. Just call if you need me before then, you know I'll come running."

"Hm," I heard her hum lovingly. "I love you, Jude. Take care of yourself."

"I love you too, Jemmie, with all my heart..."

Then he came back from behind the wall in a hurried stroll. His eyes seemed to be glazed. We did not acknowledge one another as he passed me, but as he held the door open, he turned back to face me. I turned an ear to him, peering over the collar on my jacket.

Low enough that she wouldn't hear him, he fiercely whispered, "I love her more than _**anything**_. If you harm or hinder her in any way, you know I _will_ come after you." He turned and the door closed behind him. I shifted my gaze back ahead of me, glad he was finally gone.

I went to her. She was still reclined, but held one strand of hair, twirling it in her fingers. She was rubbing her feet together and peering down at them. When I reached the bed I leaned on one of the posts. She stopped and looked up at me.

"Why did you call for me?" I asked.

"I woke up and you were gone, but I thought I heard your voice. I was still half asleep," she answered.

I looked at the time. I was actually lucky that Jude had come. I had not meant to fall asleep and may have otherwise missed Yugi's duel.

"It's almost dinner time, then it will be time for Yugi's duel. I would like to go to that," I asserted, giving her the opportunity to tell me if she needed anything instead.

"I would like to go with you," she attested, sitting up. She slid forward towards the edge of the bed. "I feel fine," she claimed as she slipped one leg off. I held an arm up around her, should she still not have the strength to stand. But she landed the other foot on the floor. As she did, she placed her arms around my neck and I moved my other arm, opening myself up to her. Her body was against mine as I then closed my arms around her. "I'm just hungry now, but could we eat up here?" she finished. "I have no desire to go back into that swarm of people."

"That's fine," I answered. "However, I do have something I need to do before Yugi's duel, but I'll get you dinner first."

She ordered and the food soon arrived. Once she was settled, I said, "I'm leaving. I will come back for you before the duel."

She answered me by holding up a forkful of food to my mouth. Keeping my eyes on her apprehensively, I took the bite and she smiled. "You know, in the whole time I've known you, I don't know as to that I recall ever seeing you eat anything. That may have been the first time. I was starting to think you may have been a robot," she confided as she prepared another bite for herself. I made no remark. She look back up to me and added, "_But_, if you were a robot, I would still love you."

This was not the first time I had been accused of being a robot, but she had only thought so because she couldn't remember seeing me eat, a valid point after all this time. It wasn't because of the kind of person I am. _'If you were a robot, I would still love you.' _Her words echoed in my head. This was the second time she had told me that she loved me.

Until that point, I had only ever heard those words from Mokuba, and in vague memories of my late parents. Most people seem to hate me, and they were always asking things of me. She had never asked me for anything, never lectured me, never pushed an agenda on me. Others had always been making requests and demands of me because of my resources and abilities without regard to my wishes. She had never asked for my time, never asked me for anything, she just enjoyed my presence. She supported my actions, and only for my benefit– she had no other reason to encourage me to throw this tournament. And she had done all this without me having to change at all. She had seen something in me, and she loved what she saw.

This realization was a lot for me, but I was... grateful, I suppose. Surprised? Whatever the feeling was, it was strong. I bent forward, reaching a hand out to her hair. I pulled her forward a bit and kissed her on the top of her head. She peered up at me.

"I will come back," I reaffirmed before I turned and left.

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**Next Chapter:** "The Call" - Kaiba calls Pegasus, and boy does he have something to say

**P.S. The first three chapters of the prequel are posted to get that moving along. I have to say, I think it's my favorite. It is also pertinent to the next fic.**


	33. The Call

_Seto's POV_

When I entered the control room Mokuba was there. "Hey bro!" he called, putting a headset down. I turned and walked into a large back room. Mokuba followed me. "So how is Jem?" he asked.

"She's fine now. She's eating." I responded without looking at him. I was busy turning on the system in the room. The large screen flickered on.

"What are you doing?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm calling Pegasus to inform him that he lost."

I heard Mokuba react with a startled breath.

"System Ready," came the soft female voice that I programed my computers to use. I walked to the middle of the floor, looking up at the same words as they appeared on the screen.

"Call Pegasus." I ordered.

"Calling: Maximillion Pegasus." it stated.

It rang as the blue lines on the screen spun in a vortex. Then, his face appeared on the screen. I felt a rage start to boil inside me. "Well, if it isn't Kaiba-boy," he said mockingly. "I assume you are calling because you are upset that my men are on their way back with my precious Jem?" He used her name like the jewel. I remembered on the day we met she told me how she despised it. "Did you really think you could compare to her brother? I must say, it was a delight to send that same brotherly love after you that you so avidly fight with."

"Shut up." I commanded, ready to tell him off.

"Oh but Kaiba-boy, that's so rude!"

"I'm calling to tell you that you've lost, Pegasus." I snapped. He was taken aback. "I thought I would inform you, since you no longer have any men to do it for you, and your son no longer wants to talk to you after Jem filled him in on everything you have done."

"What?" he grimaced.

"And I won that duel, by the way. If you don't believe me, ask any number of the hundreds of people who witnessed it. And don't you tell anymore lies about me to try and get your way. Your daughter has chosen me, deal with it." I grinned. I had waited so long to rub this in his face.

He bared his teeth and then composed himself. "How do you know that she isn't there on my behalf? How do you know that she isn't just buttering you up to be a Kaiba family member and allow me to finally take over Kaiba Corp.?"

I was taken aback. I hadn't thought of that, but now considered it for the first time. Pegasus saw that he had thrown me off and smiled. But then I thought about it more, and knew it was completely bogus.

"Well, considering that I know your daughter better than you do, I know that would never happen. Not to mention, that's an awful lot of work only to sign a prenuptial agreement." His smile faded. "And if I ever _do_ decide to take your daughter to be completely mine, don't expect me to ask for your permission first." I taunted him and grinned, "But I have been meaning to thank you, Pegasus. You have created the two things I have _truly_ enjoyed most." His face twisted in rage as I dropped my smile. "Now stay out of my way before you lose anything else."

He slammed the phone down and the call ended. "Wow, way to go, bro!" Mokuba cheered. I was hoping my younger brother hadn't understood what I was insinuating in the last part.

"That should take care of him, at least for a while." I said before I turned back.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Four Aces" - It's Yugi's semi-final, obviously the real suspense lies in who will win


	34. Four Aces

_Jem's POV_

I finished my dinner and then pulled out my phone, thinking to check on Avery.

"Hello?" he chirped as I found my shoes and put them back on.

"Hi Avery, it's me. Just calling to tell you that everything has been taken care of."

"Oh, good. So what's happened, then?" he asked.

I started to wander further into the room. "Well, I died, and admitted I was in love with Seto. Jude also showed up out of nowhere and attacked Seto. Oh, and apparently there was a dragon living inside me? But everything is fine now," I summed up.

"Oh good, so long as you're safe that's all that matters," he replied, as I expected he would.

Then I heard the door open. "It sounds like Seto's back. I'll see you soon," I said and hung up, putting the phone away to stand. I walked around the corner, but Seto brushed passed me, so I doubled back to follow him. He was getting his duel disk that he had left on the bed. He stood upright and fastened it on, though I was not sure why considering we were going to simply watch Yugi's duel. I guess he really was _always_ prepared.

I was not going because I wanted to watch Yugi's duel, I was going because I wanted to stay near Seto, even though I no longer needed to. He looked up at me, "Are you ready?" I clasped my hands behind my body and nodded.

He walked towards me slowly as he finished fastening on the duel disk, stopping less than a couple feet away from me. He looked down at me. I looked up at him. I raised my eyebrows, expecting him to do something.

"Let's go," he said and turned. I simply followed.

We worked our way down to the arena. Soon we were in the tunnels. I found Seto's arm and put mine through his so he could better guide me through the unfamiliar darkness. I enjoyed feeling the tension in his body as he led me through the poorly lit tunnel. I now felt cold, but his arm felt delightfully warm as I held it close to me.

We came across Yugi, waiting where Seto had waited for his duel. Though it was now night time, I could see the arena was well lit with stadium lighting, and I was therefore able to see Yugi. He seemed... different.

He leaned against the wall, yet seemingly taller than usual, with one foot up, his arms crossed, head bowed, and eyes closed. He heard our footsteps and only looked up. Seto stopped, causing me to do the same.

"Yugi," Seto said roughly, "good luck out there." Based on the conversation Seto and I had before his duel, I was pretty sure he was underhandedly insulting Yugi.

"Hm," Yugi replied in his low voice. _He is so different here_. "Thank you."

Seto turned to walk away, leading me as well. "Kaiba," Yugi yelled sharply. Seto turned back to him. "You did some extraordinary things today. You have again shown that you are truly a man of honor."

It was Seto's turn to acknowledge him with a "Hm." They glared at one another. Anyone would have been able to clearly see their intense rivalry, even with no prior knowledge of the two.

Yugi turned to me. "As you have as well. There is nothing more honorable than sacrificing ourselves for the people we love. I am glad to see you are doing well." I think that was the first time he had ever addressed me.

"Thank you," I responded, "I am so glad that everyone knows about that..." I added cynically.

Seto turned away again, tugging me along. Right before we reached the opening of the tunnel, I dropped Seto's arm. Mokuba was sitting where he and I had sat before, but came running up when he saw us. He hugged me around my waist, his head on my ribs. He looked up at me and I expected him to say something about how he was glad I was doing well, but instead he just smiled wide and turned to closely trot after his brother.

We all found our seats, but before I sat down Mokuba gestured to my parasol at my seat. "Serenity grabbed this for you after we all left," he told me.

"Hi," said a cheery young girl from the second row. I assumed that was Serenity. I nodded to her, trying to find the least interactive or inviting way to to acknowledge her before I spun away and sat down. I sat with my hands under my legs. Seto sat with both his legs and arms crossed. We did not touch. Neither of us were too comfortable with PDA, so much so that no one had noticed we were together until the night Joey barged in on us.

Roland announced the duel, getting the crowd hyped up. Each contestant came out, then they met to shuffle their decks, and the duel was on. Seto watched Yugi, bewitched by the duel.

Meanwhile, I looked up to the crowd high above us. There were so many people. _Did all of these people really come all the way here just to watch card games?_ This world was so strange to me, despite my father being the inventor of the game. _Is this a place I really want to be?_ I looked at Seto, enjoying the sport. I did not care about the game, but that enjoyment with his smile meant something to me. The duel did not elicit anything from me, but seeing Seto here watching it did. _Yeah, I guess it is_.

I watched too, but not with the same attentiveness as Seto. Though Yugi was destroying the little girl, he did not seem to be giving it his all. He seemed to be trying to be considerate of her. Seto also noticed. "Yugi isn't flexing his muscles. He's not up to his full potential," he commented. Then he smiled and bowed his head, closing his eyes. "He must be saving his energy for our duel," Seto gloated. He opened his eyes and took a card out of his deck. It had the image I had painted a while ago, and the dragon I had thought I had seen right before everything went dark.

"Wait," I objected, "Did that really happen? I thought I was just delusional and Jude was tripping!"

"I'm not sure anything happened, there was probably something in the air affecting all of us," Seto replied.

"Then how do you explain the card?" I insisted.

"I don't know," answered Seto, "but I'm not complaining." He put the card back and crossed his arms, and again bowed his head, closing his eyes. "Now my deck has a complete set of aces," he said smugly, though I did not understand what he meant.

"Yeah!" added Mokuba, leaning forward to look at me. "Now my brother's deck is even more awesome because of you!"

"Mm," Seto hummed as he looked back up at the duel.

"Glad I could help..." I said a little bewildered as I sat back in my chair.

I was brought back into the moment as the crowd exploded. "Yugi Moto is the winner and will face off against Seto Kaiba in the final match tomorrow! Be back here at 10:30am to witness the duel of the century!" Roland announced.

"Hm. I knew it," Seto claimed. As everyone rejoiced, he simply stood up and turned to walk away. I hastily stood to follow, not wanting to be left behind here without him. When we reached the tunnels he noticed I was by his side. As we entered he subtly offered his arm to me, and I gratefully accepted it.

As we disappeared into the shadows, I heard Mokuba yell out, "Hey guys! Wait for me!" as he came running after us.

**Hmm, so, again, I get nervous when I stop hearing from you guys. I just worry that I've offended or disappointed you in someway. Am I still doing ok?**

* * *

**Next Chapter:** "Final" - Last chapter


	35. Final

**Juliedoo: Oh no! I hope everything is ok now! I'm glad you're back now!**

***Whew* I had thought that some of you may have thought it was cheesy the way I brought her back or something, so I'm really glad that everything is good, thank you for the reassurance!**

* * *

_Jem's POV_

Seto and Mokuba were out finishing their business for the day. I lay on the couch reading, waiting for them to return.

When they did, a tired looking Mokuba simply waved to me. "Goodnight," he yawned as he turned towards his room.

"Goodnight, Mokuba." I responded. Seto stood away from me, waiting.

As soon as Mokuba went into his room, Seto stated, "We're going to have a fight."

I was confused. "Why?" I asked, sitting up and closing my book.

"Mokuba seems to really like Jude. I don't approve of him as someone Mokuba might look up to."

"Oh," I responded, settling back down. "No, I won't try and defend that. I'll tell Jude to keep it PG if ever he's around Mokuba, or don't be near him at all. You may also want to prevent Mokuba from reading every police beat, in every city. Ever. But even so," Seto had started to come around to me, "even if he did 'look up' to Jude, it would never be enough to influence him, not compared to you."

"Mm," replied Seto as I moved my feet for him to sit down. Most people would say 'I suppose you're right,' but those words didn't exist in Seto's vocabulary. I had learned that 'mm' could sometimes be loosely translated to mean that, however. Seto pulled his briefcase towards him, getting ready to prepare for his big duel. I stretched out my legs again and rested them across his lap.

A thought occurred to me from earlier. "Seto?"

"What is it?"

"I told myself I would ask you this if I got to stay. Your name... 'Kaiba.' The others call you that. Why?" I inquired.

"Because it's my name," he said annoyed.

"Yeah, I got that, smart-ass," I chided, "But why do you embrace it? I mean, didn't you hate your stepfather? I hate my father, and I wince every time somebody addresses me with his name."

"Mm," he responded again. This time it could be loosely translated to say that he now understood my question. "Because I earned it. I was able to take away his name along with his empire." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees in between placing cards. The first card he found was his new dragon, which he set in the middle of the coffee table, then branched out strategies from there.

"Mmm." I responded, sitting back. This could be translated as 'that makes perfect sense, I couldn't see it in that perspective before.' _So it's another prize_, I thought to myself. _I should have known_. I opened my book again, quickly lost in it as Seto planned. Occasionally, he would pause and kind of step back. Except since he couldn't actually step back, he instead would place a hand on my leg.

After a while I grew tired. I closed my book, setting it under the coffee table. Seto was just looking at his cards now, intense in his thoughts. I removed my feet from his lap and curled them back to me. This allowed me to lean forward, wrapping my arms around him. I pulled him towards me just the slightest bit, kissing the side of his face adoringly. He turned to meet me and kissed me back, which he never did while he was working.

When he pulled away, I asked him, "Why did you do that?"

"Because you're about to go to bed," he responded, his focus again on his cards.

"You're starting to know me too well," I responded as I planted my feet on the floor and stood up. I looked at him one last time. I loved him, I did. I smiled to myself, as though it was the most heartwarming joke I had ever heard. I reached over to brush the side of his face and his chin with my hand. As I turned away to go to bed, my hand naturally withdrew, and he graced it with a kiss as it passed, though he never looked up.

_Seto's POV_

My room and the sky were dark. I stood, leaning one hand on the window, looking out over the waves far below. This was it. Tomorrow, everything would finally come together for me. I had waited so long for this.

Jem came around the corner slowly, looking at me. "What are you doing?" she asked quietly. She was ready for bed, which for her meant wearing hardly anything.

"I can't sleep." I responded, never turning to her. I was too excited to sleep, which only made me more anxious because I did not want to be tired for my duel tomorrow. By the aid of the moonlight, she slowly approached me, trying to keep the night silent. Once she reached me, she put her hand gently on my arm, then stepped between me and the window, directly in my gaze.

"I might be able to help with that," she whispered, placing her hands on my belt and working her fingers under my clothes. "Or is it like a test? Don't have sex before a big duel?" she asked. No, she was right, this was exactly what I needed. Again, my decision to bring her proved to be a good one.

I placed my other hand on the glass, trapping her between me and the window. "No," I said, "It's not the same thing at all."

* * *

I woke up, once again feeling refreshed. Jem was asleep alongside me, her head on my chest. Her hair fell in her face, which I always enjoyed for some reason. Perhaps it was because I was able to see her in a state that I knew no one else could. Or perhaps it was because it gave me an excuse to touch her and brush it away. I reached out a hand to do just that.

When I did, she awoke. She looked up, then slowly stretched to kiss me. As our lips met, I tightened my arm around her to pull her closer, but this only caused her to promptly pull away.

"Ooh careful," she gasped, closing her eyes. "I'm a little sore."

"Hm." I mused, recalling how I caused it. I looked at the clock. It was almost 8:30, only two hours before my duel. I kissed her on the head then slipped away from her, getting out of bed.

She watched me as I dressed, or at least put pants on, before I promptly went back around the corner. I sat where I had yesterday on the couch, looking my cards over with fresh eyes.

Sometime later, Jem came around the corner in a robe and went to the small kitchen. "I'm making coffee, do you want any?" she asked wearily.

"No." I stated, still sorting through my cards. I had never given in to such substances, not wanting to ever become weak and dependent on them.

She came over and sat in the same chair as when I was planning for my semi-final yesterday. Except this time, she curled up in the chair instead of placing her feet on the coffee table, and my lap was too far away. She held her coffee in both hands, sipping on it occasionally, the rest of the time just staring at me. Eventually she breathed, "God, you're sexy." She then expanded, "I'm all for this shirtless planning, or shirtless thinking, shirtless anything really."

"Hm. Noted." I responded flatly without looking up. I had an important task at hand. It was really coming together for me now. I woke up with a cleared head from all the bullshit that had happened yesterday. She continued to gaze at me as she finished her coffee, then went to shower and get ready. She promptly came back out and sat down again. Within a couple minutes, Mokuba came through the door, ready for the day.

"You ready for this, bro?" He was already cheering me on. Then he slowed when he saw me. "Seto, why aren't you dressed yet? Your duel is in less than an hour."

"I know, Mokuba." I said sharply. "Will you take Jem down and get some breakfast?"

"Of course," he replied a little hesitantly. "Come on Jem," and they left.

I sat back and looked at what I had created. I looked at each strategy collection individually, envisioning each taking down Yugi, and smiled.

* * *

We reached the spot again where I would wait to be introduced. Jem came over to me, tilting her head up as she placed her hands on my face. She then ran them down my neck and over my chest, finally grabbing my jacket, pulling herself against me. "Can I have a kiss?" she requested for the first time.

"Just because you want one?" I recalled, wanting her to say it.

"No, for luck," she responded.

I narrowed my eyes, insulted that she thought I would need it now. "I don't need luck." I replied darkly.

"Not for you, I didn't ask if _you_ wanted a kiss, I asked if I could have one. I am about to go sit among those morons while _Yugi_ duels," she replied, "and you won't be there to make them shut up."

"Hmm." I smiled at the twist. "You're going to need all the luck you can get," I told her as I started to lean down. I kissed her, over and over again, my arms finding their way around her as I slowly leaned down more and pulled her closer to me. For a second, just one brief moment, I forgot where I was.

After a minute, we heard Mokuba say, "Ok ok we get it. You love each other." I opened my eyes slightly to glance sideways at him before I pulled back.

One of her hands traveled over to my arm as she lifted her other, eyes fixed on my mouth. "Hmm," she voiced, taking the point of her finger and brushing a line down along my lips. "I think that should cover it." She looked back up at me, our eyes locking. After a moment, she rose up again and kissed me sweetly before dropping and letting me go. She turned to follow Mokuba, who waved and yelled, "You're gonna ace this, bro!" before running ahead to lead her.

I was again consumed by the duel, my anticipation brimming. I extracted my new card again to study it. I reread its abilities, reexamined the picture, and again enjoyed this new power that had come to my hands. I had already come up with dozens of ways I could use it to give me a compelling advantage. And better yet, Yugi knew nothing of its powerful abilities. Thanks to my decisions, I had this card in my possession. And thanks to Jem, I felt wonderful today. And thanks to my superior skills, I was about to crush Yugi. Today was my day.

I took out my three Blue Eyes and held the four dragons in my hand, overwhelmed with confidence. "And now please welcome your host, Seto Kaiba, to the field!" I tucked the cards back in my deck and turned my attention to my task. As I ascended the stairs, I thought, _This is it Yugi, your days as champion have come to and end..._

**Yep, that's the end of the sequel! I hope you enjoyed it! As always, if you have read this far, please let me know, it would mean a lot! And _of course_ thank you to everyone who has already, and another thank you to those who will!**

* * *

**Next Story:** _Until He Had It All_ is the next and final fic of the series. I have posted the first chapter for any of you who would like to add it to alerts, because there will be a short break while I finish publishing the prequel, _Orion_ (I want to try and line them up, though I'll definitely will make it go again within a week, the break won't be too long). Here's a little more about them:

Until He Had It All: Seto Kaiba's continued conquests. Warnings (this one gets pretty intense) – character death (for real this time), sexuality, violence, and of course language. It takes place after the series and is slight AU, but only in the sense that I ignore the spin-offs. After the first chapter, a lot starts happening really quickly.

Orion: (probably my favorite!) This one is a little different, and formatted differently, but it is about friendship (not the Téa kind, oh nooo). It is a plutonic romance - let me explain: You know 'love at first sight'? Well you know how you can also see someone for the first time and know you'll be amazing friends? Though that particular instance is not in the fic, that's a perfect example of what I mean. It is also nice and easygoing, more day-to-day stuff and no kidnapping to be seen. It's the shortest one, and kind of precious.

And even though her friend is Zero (I don't care if Kaiba has a significant other or not, that was a fun challenge, but I wrote this because I needed to see someone to care about him more than anyone else! I love Zero) it is not a love triangle. _Orion_ was originally going to be written as a completely separate fic, but it weirdly fit waaay too well into the series if I used Jem again. I'm also excited for those of you, well, who both already like Vampire Knight, but for those of you who will go watch the first episode, and then inevitably watch the rest of them (luckyxtrick will attest to this), and make the discovery. Anyway, I hope you all will continue to enjoy them as you have the first two!


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